Everlong
by Fabulist
Summary: [AU, InuKag] A notorious archaeologist teams up with an indignant environmentalist. Inuyasha and Kagome struggle to maintain their professional relationship while they uncover a mystery beyond what they ever could have imagined.
1. September

September 21st, 2005

Dear Mom;

            There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you, about you hopes and dreams, about your wishes, about your sacrifices.  Sometimes it makes me cry.  I want so much to see you, for us to finally understand one another.

            I'm not really ashamed of all of those years that I blamed you.  I know now that it was a mistake to believe the things I did, but I'm only human, and humans have these things called "emotions" that often make us make mistakes.

            I guess the point is that I've discovered so much these past few months, and although I'll probably always resent the time we had to spend apart, I know now that you had to make a choice, one that most people could never be strong enough to make.

            No regrets though.

            I thought you might want to know that I finally found it.  One of my favorite memories are those of us lying in the grass in the back yard when I was small, looking at the clouds and talking endlessly about it.  Well, his name is Inuyasha and he's wonderful.  Not quite who we'd fantasized of, but wonderful.  Better even.  Because those fantasies were always so two dimensional.  I'm sorry, it's the new scientist in me.  Maybe someday you'll get to meet him.

            Yeah, yeah I know, but please don't laugh.

            I've seen a lot lately, and at this point, it would be silly for me not to believe in miracles.

            So I'll say it.  I know that's what you wanted.  I believe in miracles.

            I miss you.

Love Always,

Kagome


	2. His and Her Circumstances

Chapter 1: His and Her Circumstances

-The Grave Robber-

February, 2005

                Sometimes I had to remind myself why I was doing this.  When it rained, and the stab of my memories was my only company in the dark, that was when I had to slam the picture frames face down and list silently in my head all the reasons why I was doing this.  Was it revenge?  Was it the look in her dark eyes or the bite of her beautiful voice as she left me?  Was it his betrayal or the way I had shrunk in his shadow my entire life?  Perhaps it was just the two of them, just seeing them together, that pushed me so far.  But I think what it all boils down to is my need to forget; to believe that I never really needed all of the things I built my life upon.  Just to forget.

            It's terribly lonely here, when you're trying to forget.

            Sighing, I propped my feet up on my desk, rotating the tension slowly out of my shoulders.  It had been a long day, dawn till dusk of fruitless scavenging.  How do you even begin a search when an entire country is at your fingertips?  It seemed like I'd been racking my brain forever, and still I returned to camp each night empty-handed , sore and frustrated.  

            "I know, Kaede-baba, I know," I hissed into the receiver, holding the phone between my ear and my shoulder so I could leaf through the field reports in my lap.  "Believe me, you'll see results…soon."

            Kaede was my boss.  The old hag was head of the archaeology department at Tokyo University, and she held my project, my funding, my reputation… fuck, she basically held my entire career in her hands.

            "That would be satisfactory, Inuyasha, if you showed any sign of progress."  Her voice was stern, the condescending tone to it making my toes curl.  "But you've been on the job for months, and you've produced nothing."

            "That's not true," I objected, swinging my legs down and scooting my swivel chair closer to my desk.  "We know the general whereabouts of its origin…"

            "Anyone with a library card can pick up a book of mythology and find that out.  Inuyasha, I'm growing impatient.  I gave you the people, the resources, the materials… you've dug up half of Japan already and found what?  A few rusty old bottle caps?  If you don't give me something to show to the board of trustees by the end of the month… I'm afraid I'll have no choice but the pull the plug on this project."

            I couldn't contain my snarl as I leaned one elbow on my desk, weaving my fingers though my hair.  "People?  No way in hell, baba.  You gave me lap dogs.  I tell them to do something, and they do it.  Otherwise they just rung around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.  Maybe I could get some work done if you actually provided me with some competent staff!"

            "If I recall correctly," she chided, "I offered you a partner in the beginning.  It was you who refused."

            "NOT a partner," I barked.  Damn it, all I ever did was repeat myself to this bitch.  "Staff, Kaede, staff.  People who are obedient, educated, and innovative.  People who are an asset instead of a detriment."

            "You do realize that you are very hard to work with," she paused, waiting for my retort, but I bit my tongue.  If her definition of 'hard to work with' was someone who expected their orders to be followed at all times and still looked for intelligence within their work force, then yes, I suppose I am 'hard to work with.'  She continued, "Perhaps if you gave your staff a chance… not just firing them at the first sign of-"

            "Perhaps if you sent me some scientists instead of overgrown lab rats-"

            "Don't interrupt me, Inu-"

            "Don't patronize me, ba-"

            "Look, I actually do have someone in mind, that's why I called, I-"

            I raised my eyebrows, leaning back and folding my arms behind my head.  "You mean this isn't just one of your collect courtesy calls so you can make me pay for your incessant nagging?"  I sighed, not wanting to discourage her when she was finally starting to see things from my point of view.  "So, who is this person?"

            She took a deep breath, seemingly to keep her temper in check.  "Her name is Higurashi Kagome.  She-"

            "Feh."

            "is… an expert in the field and a… fine archaeologist.  I'm sure you will find her… beyond useful in your search for the Shikon no Tama."

            My eyes narrowed as I crumpled up crappy report after crappy report and tossing them into the trash bin.  "Look, I don't need a girlfriend, baba."

            "Inuyasha!  There will be no sexist remarks from you, do you understand me?  I could break your career under my little toe, and you know that.  Now, I'm sending Kagome to you because she is… the best at what she does, and I want to see results _now_."

"Kagome-_chan_?" I spat.  "Don't tell me she's your grand-daughter or something and you're trying to give her an easy break into the business, because I am _not_ interested in babysitting!"

            "She is nothing of the sort, and if you don't want her, then I will send her to Naraku."

            My mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound could come out even as the papers slipped out of from between my fingers and glided lazily to the floor.

            "No?  Then clear some quarters for her.  She arrives at your post on Monday."

            I tried to object when I heard and abrupt click followed by a low dial tone.  Damn bitch.  I slammed the phone down violently, letting my head fall into my hands with a painful groan.

            Naraku.  I felt my blood boil at the mere mention of his disgusting name, my chest constricting at the memories the thought of him evoked.  

            Naraku.  Kaede would not make such a threat if she didn't mean business.

***

-The Tree Hugger-

The library was next to empty.  I had sought refuge there from the chaos of the week before spring break, perfectly content with poring over my studies.  I was one of the few students choosing to remain on campus… not that I really had anywhere else to go.  I was actually enjoying the peace and quiet for once.  I was deep in contemplation when a rather elderly woman approached the table where I had set up shop, eyeing me familiarly, as if I were an old friend.

            "Ah, Kagome-chan," she greeted, her cheerfulness lighting up her generously wrinkled face.

            I vaguely recognized her as Kaede, head of the archaeology department.  Being an environmental studies major, I never really had the cause to speak with her before, so being addressed by her caught me slightly off guard.

            "Uh… good afternoon Kaede-san…" I stuttered, my confused expression clearly giving away my obvious bewilderment.  "Can I help you with something?"

The older woman bent a bit at the waist, pulling up a chair beside me before nodding sagely.  "I will not beat around the bush.  Recently, I was talking with Professor Amawa, and she mentioned that you had applied for an internship in the Amazon this summer."

                I immediately perked up, forgetting my books and blinking a few times.  Amawa was the department head of my own field, and it was common knowledge that I had been after that internship since day one.  I had spent the majority of the first semester fervently filling out my application, and now all I had to do was wait for the news.  "Yes…" I replied hopefully.  "Have you heard anything?"

            She chuckled quietly with a  sympathetic shake of her head.  "No no, we won't hear of the decision for another month or so at the earliest."

            I let out a breath I wasn't even aware that I was holding, slumping back slightly with an apologetic smile.  She studied me curiously, a secret lurking in her small dark eyes.  "However," she said after a sizeable pause.  "Dr. Noumen, head of the program in the Amazon, happens to be one of my good friends, and Amawa was raving so excitedly about you, that it occurred to me that I could possibly put in a good word on your behalf."

            "You would do that?!?" I felt the grin spread across my face even before I completed my question.  A reference from Kaede?  That would definitely give me a boost above the rest of the applicants.  Before I could stop myself my mind began to run ahead with thoughts of my summer in the rain forest, working side by side with brilliant scientists, protecting endangered species, living off the land, studying-

            "I'd consider it…" she smirked, standing lazily and moving away from the table, beckoning me to follow.  "Why don't you follow me to my office and we can talk."

            Bobbing my head eagerly, I scrambled to gather my materials, hugging them to my chest and bumping my chair in with my hip before hurrying after her.  The rapid pace she set for such an old woman surprised me, and I had to lengthen my strides considerably in order to keep up.  "You have no idea how grateful I would be for a recommendation," I breathed, bowing my head submissively.  "Working with Dr. Noumen has been my dream since I entered the university."

            She raised one eyebrow at me, steering me around a sharp corner with one hand and placing the other on her hip.  "I think I have some idea.  The competition for this internship has always been fierce, and being granted it would surely springboard your future as a respected environmentalist."

            I readily agreed,beside her as she unlocked the door.  Her office was clean and orderly, furnished only with the necessities and several generously stocked bookshelves.  She slouched into the easy chair behind her desk and gestured for me to take the seat across from her, which I did as primly as I could manage.

            Crossing my legs at the ankle, I braced my books in my lap and gripped them so tightly my knuckles turned white.  I waited anxiously for her to continue, put on edge by her prolonged silence.  Her stare was intense and unwavering, her tongue working at her cheek as she tapped her lower lip absently with a plastic ballpoint pen.

            Finally, she spoke.  "Unfortunately Kagome-chan, nothing is free in this world.  I am perfectly capable of writing a thorough recommendation this very afternoon, but I am going to have to ask something of you in return."

            I swallowed at the ominous nuances behind her words, reaching up one hand to toy with my necklace through the thin weave of my tank-top.  The pendant was the only thing I had of my mother's, and touching it was a nervous habit.  I brushed aside my anxiety.  I brushed aside my anxiety.  I wanted this internship so badly I could taste it, so badly I could feel my chest tighten at the possibility of its proximity.  "Anything."  My voice was shaking a little with my response, but it was confident and determined.

            Giving one decisive nod, she rummaged through one of her desk drawers and procured a thin manila file folder, tapping it once on her desk to straighten its contents before handing it to me.  She cleared her throat and clasped her hands on the surface in front of her.  "I suppose you've heard of Inuyasha, the young archaeology 'prodigy.'"

            I set the folder on top of the rest of the book in my lap, barely containing my instinctive scoff.  "I'll say I've heard of him.  The stubborn impulsive narcissist who sends the interns back here before they barely begin their work with him?"

            "The very same."

            I rolled my eyes, thinking of all my classmates who had been sent to assist him, and who had returned almost immediately, full of complaints.  I cocked my head at Kaede questioningly.  "What about him?"

            She sighed, looking pointedly at the folder I held to signal I could open it.  "You're probably aware that he used to be a student here.  For a time he was the most promising archaeology major we'd seen in a while, but he conducted several research investigations that impressed the university and enabled him to start his own excavation project.  He quit school without another thought and devoted himself completely to his work.  Now, I believe he may be onto something truly ground-breaking."

            I flipped open the folder, the top page was a large glossy black and white photograph of the subject of our conversation.  He was staring off into the distance, hands shoved into the pockets of his cargo pants and a look of grave contemplation ruling over his handsome features.  At first I was taken aback by the… eye pleasing qualities of his appearance.  Sure, I'd heard he was quite striking, but I hadn't imagined someone with such unique features could be quite so… well, attractive.  I groaned inwardly, immediately scolding myself inside my head.  This was a time to be listening to Kaede, not admiring the way his tight t-shirt molded against the chiseled muscles of his chest, or the way his long reckless bangs hung adorably over his brooding eyes, or…

            I cleared my throat to rid my mind of these entirely inappropriate thoughts.  "So, um, what exactly is his project all about that's so…um… 'ground-breaking?'"

            "He's going to find the Shikon no Tama."

            I laughed at that.  No wonder he left school.  He must be a total lunatic.  Turning my attention from the picture back up to Kaede, I was sobered by the utterly stoic look on her face.  I snapped back, my jaw going slack for a moment before I collected myself.  "With all due respect Doctor, you can't be serious."

            She chuckled, cocking her head at me, making me feel like some rare species of bacteria under a microscope.  "And why do you say that?"

            I gaped at her, flabbergasted.  "Because the Shikon no Tama doesn't exist!"  I stuttered, eyes widening at the ridiculous idea.  "It's a myth, a complete fabrication."  She said nothing, her gaze flickering from my hand, which had nervously resumed tugging at my necklace, back up to my face without showing any concern for my incredulity.  I blinked a few times, snapping my jaw shut because it had fallen open again in disbelief.  "Kaede, this is like searching for the Holy Grail or… or Pandora's Box… or…"

            "Or Troy, which was found."

            I pursed my lips, my body going rigid and my hands fisting in my lap.  "Troy was a _city_, and it was backed by a fair amount of historical evidence and several reliable testimonies.  The Shikon is… an urban legend derived from a rag-tag bunch of campfire stories."  Still she remained unmoved.  "All we 'know' about the Shikon no Tama is that it was a round jewel that held remarkable powers.  According to legend it could grant wishes and immortality.  It could cause love, pain, death, anything its master wanted.  So, as a result, big scary youkai fought over it."  By the end of my lecture the sarcasm was clear in my voice, and I crossed my arms over my chest to display my skepticism.  "The only sources we have are questionable at best -- peasant journals, the diaries of self- proclaimed 'mikos,' all kinds of trash.  Besides, even if it _did_ exist, supposedly some idiotic adolescent from another dimension shattered it into hundreds of pieces that scattered across the country.  Something like that would be impossible to find."  I panted slightly, satisfied with my explanation, and amazed that I still remembered so much of my childhood tales.

            Kaede's brow quirked as an amused smirk graced her lips.  "It seems you've done your research."

            I sighed, my shoulders drooping as my gaze fell to my feet.  "I used to be a big fan of fairytales."

            There was a long silence in which I was lost in thought.  It was a real reality check sometimes, how my dreams and my beliefs had been snatched from me and crushed in a matter of weeks.  I could recall so vividly the days of my childhood, the memories were warm and sweet and bright, but behind them always lurked a cold darkness, always creeping forward until it consumed me altogether.

            Her voice broke me out of my reverie, and I shivered involuntarily, my gaze blurred and drowsy and it shifted back to her.  "Look, Kagome-chan.  Even if you don't think it's possible to find it, you understand what finding it would mean for an archaeologist, don't you?"

            I nodded dumbly, the final threads of my distressing thoughts still clinging to the back of my mind.  "Fame, fortune, respect, a Nobel Prize or two… and well, whatever you want, if the Shikon no Tama is what it's reputed to be.  But really, this is frivolous thinking.  I don't believe the Shikon no Tama does, or ever did, exist."

            The older woman stood from her seat, sighing and clasping her hands at the small of her back as she began to pace the length of the room.  "I'm not asking you to believe in the Shikon no Tama, Kagome."  She ceased her movements abruptly, fixing a strong stare directly at me.  "I'm asking you to help Inuyasha find it."

            I froze at that, the last few remaining traces of my upsetting trip down memory lane disappearing completely.  "What?!?"

            "You heard me correctly."

            It was my turn to stand now, dropping my books and the file folder on my abandoned chair.  "No no no no no!  This has to be some kind of joke!  Kaede-san, I'm just a college student, an environmental sciences major, an internship hopeful, I am in no position to be doing serious archaeological field work!"

            Kaede kept her tone level, even as she seemed irritated by my bold resistance.  "You're at the top of your class.  You're hardworking, determined, and reliable."  

            "But I don't know anything about the Shikon no Tama, let alone where to look for it!" I sputtered, waving my arms frantically for emphasis.

            She moved to one of the bookshelves, selecting a few hefty volumes and stacking them in her arms, each one thudding against the one before it.  "You just gave me quite a speech about the Shikon.  It seems you know just as much as the rest of us.  At least, you know enough."

            What could this woman possibly be thinking?  This was the first time we'd ever spoken, and she was asking me to work outside of my field on a professional excavation?  If my eyes weren't starting to hurt from bulging too wide, I would have sworn it was all just some bizarre dream.

            "I believe Inuyasha truly has a chance of finding it, " she continued, "but only if he has some capable staff."

            "But why me?" I pleaded, pressing my hands upon the surface of her desk and leaning forward.  "I don't know the first thing about excavations or Inuyasha or anything!"

            Her gaze turned stern, the stack of books she had now accumulated up to her chin.  "I have a hunch about you, that's why."

            I huffed, straightening up and running a hand through my long black hair exasperatedly.  "A hunch?!?   I have to leave all of my classes and my friends to run around on a wild goose chase on a hunch?!?"

            "You don't _have_ to do anything," she spat, her expression turning rather ruthless.  "But I don't _have_ to send in that recommendation." 

            I swallowed heavily at that, reminded of why we were having this conversation in the first place, and suddenly aware of how disrespectful I had been.  This was a chance to get the internship I had been working so hard for.  All I had to do was suspend my disbelief and search for the damn jewel.

            "That's what I thought."  She gave a full out smile at the sight of my shoulders slumped in resignation, as she dropped the unsteady tower of books on the desk in front of me.  "A little light reading on ancient Japanese lore.  Something for you to read when you're done packing.  You leave Monday."

Note: Hey everyone, this is my fist Inuyasha fic ever, so I'm still learning the ropes.  Any comments, suggestions, or constructive criticism are very much appreciated.  Thanks for reading!


	3. The Lady or the Tiger

Chapter 2 -The Lady or the Tiger

-The Grave Robber-

            "I know that look.  You're brooding.  Brooding, again.  Inuyasha, is that the only think you do?  Brood brood brood."

            I rolled my eyes, stabbing at my food rather violently with my fork and ignoring Sango's distraught expression.  What the hell was wrong with brooding, anyway?  I'm the boss around here.  If I want to brood, then I'll brood. 

 I raised my gaze to glare at Sango, who sighed as she took a seat across from me.  Come on now, can't a guy brood in peace?  "Nah, sometimes I grimly contemplate, but rarely with an audience."

            She scoffed, leaning one elbow on the metallic surface of the table.  Ah, the mess tent.  You know, living in the dense forests of Japan really is the lap of luxury.  "What's the matter now?  Is it that time of the month again?"

            I scowled, glancing out the screened window to my right.  The moon was high and just barely a sliver of silver was showing.  Last night had been hell, but now I was safe for another month.  "Not even close," I chided.  "You know that."  I smiled slightly at that thought.  Sango did know that.  She was one of the few people I really trusted.  I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't been on the project with me.  Keeping up my stern, demanding, not nonsense front all day was exhausting, but it was the only way I could get my staff to respect me when I was close to a decade younger than many of them.  It was a huge relief to be able to relax a little when it was just Sango and I.  Just her being there was proof of our close friendship  –  she knew that I would retreat to the dining tent at odd hours of the night to stuff my face whenever I had to think.

            "Yes, I do know that.  So, what's wrong?" she said.

            I shrugged.  When Sango was feeling nosy, resistance was futile, but I had to at least try to protect my privacy.  I raised my eyebrows innocently.  "Nothing's wrong."

            "I know something's wrong," she said sternly.  "You've got that way about you."

            I took a large bite of my steak, my words muffled as I swallowed it without chewing.  "What way?" 

            She smiled affectionately, leaning her chin on her open palm.  "When your eyebrows scrunch together and your lower lip pulls up and your jaw sets and you sit all rigid and straight-backed like an agitated cat."

            I wrinkled my nose disdainfully.  "I hate cats."  I sighed, knowing she would not be swayed from her interrogation.  "Kaede called last night."

            Sango stood, moving to the cabinet and pulling out a glass.  "She calls all the time."

            "I know,  but this time…" I watched her distractedly as she poured herself a glass of water.  "She's sending me a new assistant."

            Sango turned her head to look at me as she snapped the lid back on the water jug, returning it to the refrigerator.  "Well, that's good, right?  You fired your last one this week, and it's clear that Miroku and I can't handle all of the administrative work ourselves."

            I nodded grimly, picking up a packet I had been studying earlier from the chair next to me and sliding it across the table when Sango took her seat again.  "I guess… look at this though.  Kaede faxed it to me today.  It's the profile of Higurashi Kagome." 

            Sango frowned thoughtfully, scanning the first page and reading aloud.  "Nineteen years old… degrees in feudal studies and ancient lore… certified excavator."  She glanced up at me curiously.  "What's the matter?  She sounds like she could be a great help.  She's better educated than you are."

            I made a face, slumping back in my chair and blowing a few silvery bangs out of my eyes.  "Nineteen years old with two degrees?  How could she manage that?"

            Sango shrugged slightly.  "My guess is she's somewhat like you."

            My eyebrows narrowed suspiciously as I growled.  "Like me how?"

            "A prodigy."

            "I'm not a _prodigy_," I snapped, turning my face away from her with a huff.  "I'm a professional."

            Even from the corner of my eye I could see the amused smile light up her face.  "Yes sir, forgive me my most insulting mistake."  She shook her head, tapping the table lightly with her fingernails.  "Well, I don't see what you're all worked up about.  It seems to me that the worst thing that could result from this Kagome joining us would be you guys fighting over who gets to be king of the hill."  She laughed.  "I mean… really…wha…"

            I blinked, turning back as her words abruptly trailed off.   She had flipped the page and was now gazing somberly at a large photograph of my new assistant.

            "Whoa…I see…" she commented in monotone.  "Ouch.  It sure seems like Kaede is trying to throw salt in your wounds, eh?"

            I exhaled slowly, letting my chin drop into my folded arms, which were resting on the table.  "Throwing salt was just sending me that picture.  Sending that _girl_ here… that's rubbing in the salt and sealing it with lemon juice."

            A low whistle sounding behind Sango's back startled both of us.   "Helllll-o there.  Who is _that_ worthy member of the species?"

            Sango glanced at me sympathetically before turning to greet Miroku.  Miroku and Sango were my two closest friends from college.  When I had been offered my own project, they had left school to come with me into the woods.  Sango was training to be a cop so she was head of security, and Miroku was hoping to be a priest some day, if he could some how manage to overcome his lecherous tendencies.  Bringing a holy guy along was largely to appease the natives, who for some crazy reason weren't all too excited about our weeding through their ancestors' remains without any kind of ceremony.  "This is Inuyasha's new second in command," Sango explained.

            Miroku grinned broadly, turning a chair around so he could straddle the backrest, on which he settled his elbows.  "Well, I gotta hand it to you, Yash-man, you sure know how to pick 'em!"  He scratched his head thoughtfully.  "Although, this does seem a little like déjà vu."

            I snarled, snatching the papers back and stuffing them in mybriefcase.  "I don't know what Kaede was thinking."

            Sango nervously chewed on her lower lip.  "Do you think she's testing you?"

            "Of _course_ she's testing me," I hissed through clenched teeth.  "But this is a fucking horrible time for it.  Our funding is on the line.  I have to find something to show the board _fast_."  I didn't know what Kaede was trying to pull, but it infuriated me.  I'd never understood why she, my advisor, always seemed to want to challenge me instead of help me.

            "Well, let's try to look on the bright side, ne?"  Sango tried her best to muster up some cheer.  "Kagome is definitely qualified for this profession.  I'm sure she has every intention of coming here to get work done.  Maybe she'll be what we need to snap the final few pieces of the puzzle in place."

            "Besides," Miroku drawled.  "You've been… pent up… for months, Inuyasha.  Maybe a pretty lady around here is really what you need."

            Sango did not let that one slide.

***

-The Tree Hugger-

I love the forest, I really do.  Of course, if you want to be a professional environmentalist, you need to have some appreciation for nature.  However, with the bright, warm, cozy dorm room I left behind in mind, perhaps you can understand why my arrival at Inuyasha's post depressed me somewhat.

It was just after before sunrise, and the fog over the forest floor was still thick.  I had had to wake up while the stars were still out, and board a beat up old jeep for the three hour drive into the forest.  I stretched my limbs painfully now, grimly aware of the growing bruises I had accumulated from the rough ride.

            I surveyed my surroundings warily, shifting my overstuffed duffle from one shoulder to the other.  The place looked like something straight out of M*A*S*H, all large canvas tents and hastily constructed wooden buildings.  Judging by how many huge cargo trucks were scattered around, I discerned that the entire setup could be packed up and transplanted elsewhere.

            I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I just stood there, amazed at how busy the place already was before the sun had even fully risen.  Dozens of people were milling about, moving boxes, discussing work with each other, racing between tents… it was a little overwhelming.  I was definitely not a morning person, and it looked as if that was going to have to change.  I remained where I was, still and nervous, with just the mist separating my next three months and me.****

~~~

_            I was small, maybe two and half years old, and everything else always seemed so big.  The wooden table and chairs in our kitchen towered over me, and the trees surrounding the soft green grass in our back yard stood like colossal turrets stretching up to the sky._

_            I had just woken up, still in my pink flannel pajamas.  I pressed my hands and nose against the cool glass of our French doors in the kitchen that opened onto our patio.  When you're that young, everything is amazing.  Everything in the house and the surrounding grounds that made up my entire world was mine to wonder at.  Currently I was transfixed by the round beads of condensation as they chased each other down the window pane in front of my wide eyes._

_            My gaze was drawn out further to the grey clouds floating so close to my swing set, thick and opaque.  "Mama…" I asked incredulously.  "What's all that smoky stuff?"_

_            My mother was a beautiful woman; tall and slender with straight, silky black hair that hung low to the small of her back.  Sometimes I would crawl into her bed, after my dad had gone to work and she still lay half asleep, and I would run my hands through her waterfall of tresses, or curl up close to her chest and let her hair fan out around us like a dark curtain._

_            She smiled slightly, looking up from the dishes she was washing to glance out the small window over the sink.  "That's fog, Kagome-chan."_

_            I blinked at the new and funny word.  "Fog?" I repeated with a small giggle.  "What is it?  What is it doing?"_

_            My mother laughed, turning the faucet off and drying her soft hands with a pale green dishtowel, before crossing the room to kneel next to me on the cool tile floor.  "Fog is the blanket of the Earth.  Just like you have your soft grey bunny blanket on your bed.  Fog keeps the ground warm in the morning, when it's still too cold for you to go outside and play on it."  She pulled me into her lap, resting her chin on the top of my head gently as I began to suck idly on my thumb.  "And you know what else, Kagome-chan?"  she murmured, the soft vibration in her throat tickling the base of my neck.  "Fog protects the new day when it's still a baby.  After each night dies and the new day is born, the fog sets in and wraps the baby morning all up."_

_            I removed my thumb from between my lips momentarily, twisting around so I could look into the warmth of her kind chocolate eyes.  "Like baby booties," I stated with the utmost certainty._

_            "Yes."_

_            I smiled contentedly, turning to face forward again.  Some days we could sit in silence like that for a long time, waiting for the sun to rise together.  Later on I would be lead to believe otherwise, but on those lazy mornings, it always seemed to me that I was my mother's favorite little girl, and that I always would be, each and every new day._

_~~~_

"Um… Higurashi-san?"

            I jumped slightly, caught off guard by the small high-pitched voice.  I looked down to see a very short redheaded little boy, with bright green eyes gazing up at me curiously through long dark lashes.

            I nodded, resisting the urge to kneel down patronizingly.  "Yes, I'm Kagome."

            The boy grinned, holding out his hand for me to shake, which I did after bending down slightly.  "I'm Shippou.  I'm kind of a gopher around here.  Inuyasha has to supervise the dig right now, so he asked me to come get you.  I'll show you your quarters and get you settled, and then you can… 'dig' right in."  He laughed heartily, slapping his thigh, and I smiled, if only at his adorable antics.  "Haha, dig!  Pun intended."       

            I giggled, watching Shippou heave my other pack onto his back with some difficulty.  He looked up at me, wide eyed.  "Whoa, what have you got in here?  It weighs a ton!"

            "Books, " I answered, thinking of the mammoth volumes Kaede has insisted I study.  In the three short days I had to settle my affairs, I had barely had the chance to glance at them, so I thought it would be a good idea to take them along on the trip.  I contained my laughter as he waddled along in front of me.  My bag was almost bigger than he was.  

            Squaring my shoulders, I tilted my chin up and kept my stride swift and even.  I would not forget what Kaede had told me.  I had questioned why, on the profile of me she was sending to Inuyasha, she had written that I had several degrees and licenses that I did not.  She told me that it was because Inuyasha would not tolerate me if he knew I was not qualified for the job.  'Inuyasha is very hard to please, Kagome.  He must always believe that you are intellectually his equal, or he will walk all over you.  Whatever you do, do it confidently, because unless you hold your head higher than he can reach, he will tear you apart."

            I swallowed, concealing my anxiety as I followed Shippou.  This was for my internship, I reminded myself.  For that, I would play his game.

            And I would win.

***

-The Grave Robber-

I crouched next to a box of soil one of my crew was sifting, swiping my right hand through it in agitation.  This was not the way it was supposed to be.  Having my own project was supposed to be exciting and groundbreaking.  I was supposed to find a new shard every day, fit them all together perfectly, be on the cover of _Time_ by the end of the year, finally be able to look evenly into my brother's eyes… but no.  Here I was, squinting into the rising sun as clumps of cold, wet, muddy soil slipped between my relaxed fingers.

"Excuse me… Inuyasha?"

I perked up at the ring of a soft, smooth voice behind me.  Turning my head to look over my shoulder, I sucked in a quick breath.

The picture did not do her justice.

I couldn't help but give her a quick once over, my eyes hungrily taking in her shapely tan legs, the flare of her hips melting into her slim waist, the snug fit of her white sleeveless shirt over her generous curves, and the long dark tresses that fell in waves around her bare arms.  Swallowing with some difficulty, my gaze drifted over her full pink lips that were curved into an inviting smirk to finally settle on her large, curious doe eyes.

"H…hai," I stammered.  It seemed Miroku was right; I hadn't been around enough attractive females lately.  Rising quickly to my feet, I felt instincts rise up inside me that I had forgotten I possessed.  I guess after my last relationship ended the way it did, I had tried to forget any hormone-induced emotions, but I was rendered practically helpless at the sight of this new girl.  It didn't help of course, that she looked so much like the only woman I'd ever felt anything real for.

I held out my hand in greeting.  Besides, I may be the world's greatest archaeologist, but I'm still a 21-year-old human male… kind of… sort of… I guess.  "I'm Inuyasha, the head of this expedition.  I'm guessing you're Higurashi?"

She nodded with a slight smile that made my stomach turn over.  One of her of thumbs was hooked through one of the belt loops of her form-fitting khaki shorts, and her other hand extended towards mine and paused, her gaze flickering from my hand back up to my face, amused.

I frowned, wondering what I was wrong, and hoping my nose wasn't bleeding or something perverse like that.  Miroku was sure to be lecherous enough with her; she didn't need two of us.  Glancing down at my hand, I laughed sheepishly when I saw that it was still covered thoroughly with mud from my little romp in the dirt.  "Oh… heh… sorry," I muttered, wiping my hand hastily on the front of my pants until it was fairly soil free, before offering it again.

She shook it this time; her hand was soft and warm, and considerably smaller than my own.

"I'm guessing Shippou has already gotten you settled in?  How was your trip?"

"Rough," she laughed.  (She had a very cute laugh.)  "But it seems to me I'm in once piece."

I'll say.  One very fine piece.

She raised her eyebrows when I didn't say anything, lost in my own boyish thoughts.  I frowned, dismissing them disgustedly.  Acting 21 was one thing.  Acting 13 was just unacceptable.

"Sooo," she offered, gesturing to the work going on behind me.  "How about you fill me in about our progress?"

"Right," I agreed, nodding to clear my head as I turned, gesturing for her to stand beside me, which she did.  She was pretty close now, and when she shifted her weight her arm brushed against mine.  I inwardly chided myself at the zap of electricity that I felt at our contact.  There was a time when this would not have been a big deal.  Where did those days go?  Sigh.  "This is the fifth site we've been to so far.  Basically we select an area that's prominently featured in the legend and begin an excavation there."

She looked somewhat bewildered, crossing her arms over her chest.  "So you just pick a plot of dirt and pick through it?"

I shrugged, stuffing my hands in my pockets as we surveyed the myriad of workers in front of us, milling about like ants, running barrels and barrels of soil through sieves, washing rocks, sorting twigs out of dirt piles so they could be processed.  "Pretty much."

"Are you serious?" she scoffed, and the incredulity in her voice caused me to fluff up defensively.  "That's like trying to find a-"

"Needle in a haystack," I finished for her sharply.  "But that's all there is to do."  I turned my gaze to her challengingly.  "Do you have a better idea?"

She blinked at me, surprised.  "Not specifically, but-"

I felt my temper flare up slightly.  Here for just half an hour, and already she had problems with the way I run things, huh?  "Well, then don't complain."

"I'm not complaining!" she snapped, her voice rising in irritation before cooling again.  "I'm just surprised.  I mean, even in the story they had a little more aim than making sand castles."

That did it, I grabbed her wrist and whirled her around to face me.  "Yeah, well, in the story they also had a bitch that could sense Shikon shards… and I guess while Kaede was busy recruiting disruptive females for my staff, she conveniently forgot to toss one that was a Shikon detector my way."

Kagome fumed, and in the back of my mind I decided that I liked the way she looked when she was angry.  Her lower lip jutted out in a very kissable pout, and her cheeks flushed in frustration.   "Disruptive females?" she seethed, her eyebrow twitching in her agitated state.  "Is that so…"

"Um… please excuse the interruption."

I glanced to my right to see Sango now standing next to us, glaring at me condescendingly.  She turned to Kagome, smiling warmly.  "I'm Sango, head of security here.  You must be Higurashi-san.  Welcome."

Kagome sent one last cold look my way before smiling brightly at Sango.  "It's nice to meet you.  Inuyasha was just telling me about the way things work around here."

"So I gathered," Sango scoffed, fixing another hard stare on me.  "Please excuse Inuyasha's rash behavior, Kagome.  He's been away from civilization far too long and has forgotten his manners."

I bristled at that.  It was an outrage.  "Feh!" I spat, pointing at Kagome accusingly.  "She was the one that-"

"Sango-san," Kagome cut in, blatantly ignoring my protests.  "Do you think you could show me to the ladies' room?  It was a long trip and I'd like to freshen up."

"We're in the middle of the woods," I snapped, motioning to our surroundings.  "Pick a hole, any hole."

Kagome looked horrified by my suggestion, and I guess it was a good thing I was being sarcastic.

"Of course I can," Sango said firmly, smacking me lightly on the arm.  "Follow me."

I grunted, sneaking a peek after them as Sango lead Kagome away.  Hmm, she looked almost as good from this angle as she did from the front.

"I didn't do anything!" I head Kagome whisper when she thought I was out of range.  One thing she would learn about me is that I have a very acute sense of hearing.

"I know, I know, don't worry about it," Sango replied gently.  "There are some things you should know about Inuyasha."

Maybe having another female around here was not such a great idea after all.  Now they could combine forces and gang up on me.  "Not a word, Sango!" I yelled after them.  I was shocked as I was responded to with two middle fingers, thrown over their shoulders as they continued to walk away from me.

Damn.  Kagome might look like Kikyou, but she sure doesn't act like her.

^_^ Comments, criticism, and suggestions are appreciated.


	4. Artemis

Chapter 3 -Artemis

-The Tree Hugger-

            A few days has passed since I arrived at the project, and I was fairly well adjusted now.  I'd made fast friends with Sango, and she made it clear how glad she was to have another girl around.  Judging from her three closest comrades, it was not hard to see why.  

Shippou was adorable, and very eager to help, but he often seemed to be in the way more than he was useful.  Still, he was kind and funny, bringing comic relief whenever seclusion brought about quarrels among the rest of us.  

Miroku, Sango's on-again-off-again boyfriend, was a total pervert, but he was a pretty nice guy.  Their relationship baffled me, and sometimes I was convinced it was based solely on their need to… relieve themselves, and being stuck in the woods did not leave them many options.  It was hard to believe he was going to be a priest, with how many times his hands has "accidentally" found my backside already in just three days.  In fact, the only time it seemed I was not subjected to "inadvertent" groping was when Inuyasha was around.

            Ah, Inuyasha.  I had to admit that that guy watched me like a hawk.  Oftentimes I would feel someone's eyes on me, only to catch him look away guiltily, and I wondered what he was thinking.  Maybe he felt I was intruding, that I was unwelcome and annoying.  I did enter the scene rather abruptly after all.  Honestly though, I hoped it was just because he found me nice to look at, because I found myself staring at him a lot for just that reason.

            I felt like an open book around him, and the emotion was so foreign to me that I was a little frightened.  I'd always had a temper, but my first conversation with my new superior had come out of nowhere.  I'd never gotten so angry with anyone so quickly, or so flustered…

            I never missed his wandering gaze, and the intensity of his amber eyes always sent alternating waves of heat and chills through me that I could barely conceal.  I felt so raw and vulnerable in his presence, as if he could see right through me, and I was scared, so I usually lashed out defensively.  Our conversations after our introduction has been slightly more cordial, but there was always a marked tension between us, as if one wrong word would send us raging to each other's throats.

            I had woken up one morning to an ominously grey overcast sky.  Rain was never good news, I gathered, because the pits we were drawing soil from would fill with water and pack the dirt down, or flood them with leaves and twigs from the forest floor, making it exceedingly difficult to discern what was where it naturally should be, and what was not.  Currently, the entire camp was busy rigging tarps up over our work before the storm began.

            Sango was stretching the edges of the blue plastic over the ends of the pit, while I carried flat pieces of grey slate over to hold it down.  It had already started to sprinkle, and I found my eyes wandering frequently to Inuyasha, who was driving stakes through the corners of the tarp with Miroku.  The dampness was making his shirt cling to him in interesting ways…

            "Aw, don't stay angry at him, Kagome."  Sango was speaking to me now, peering up at me from her crouching position.

            "Hmm?" I blinked down at her, pushing my wet bangs out of my eyes.

            "You're glaring at him again," Sango commented, jerking her head towards Inuyasha.  "I know he was a prick to you but… well, it's just that… you know, Inuyasha made… a lot of sacrifices and… worked really hard to get where he is."  I blushed slightly at her 'glaring' comment.  I was doing something more akin to ogling, but I wasn't about to point that out.

            I tilted my head slightly, listening attentively.  This was the first time anyone had offered me any real information about Inuyasha.  When I had first arrived, Sango had mentioned that there were "things I should know" about him, but she hadn't mentioned them after that, and I felt it would be rude of me to bring it up.

            I could tell she was choosing her words carefully, painstakingly  omitting various factors.  Not that I expected to get 'in the know' so early on, not at all… especially since I myself was being less than truthful.  Sango shrugged, pressing her hands tightly in place as I carefully fitted a stone on top of the tarp.  "Because of his young age and… unusual appearance, breaking into this field has not been easy for Inuyasha, and it's been a constant struggle for respect from his peers.  It's difficult for him to accept that he may not always be right, when he knows one mistake could seriously tarnish his status."

            I nodded in understanding.  Being a young woman in my own field was no piece of cake, either.  I felt a growing sympathy for Inuyasha as Sango continued.  "Don't be too insulted.  He's just trying to show you who's the alpha male, but he's listening to you, too."

            I laughed at that.  Maybe he was listening, but it was hard to tell.  Most of the time when we were talking, he'd cross his arms across his chest and stare off into space, as if looking me in the eye hurt him somehow.  The only times I ever caught him looking at me were when he thought I didn't know he was, like… now!

            I whipped my face around to look in his direction, my eyes landing on his own shocked amber pair.  He looked away quickly, mumbling something under his breath to Miroku.  Gah, talk about confusing behavior.  "Oh really?" I remarked, still staring after him.  "Could have fooled me."

            I lifted the next piece of slate, but it was slick from the rain and slipped out of my hands, one of its jagged edges cutting into the inside of my arm as it fell.  "Ow ow ow," I whined, watching as blood sprang to the surface of my wound and began to drip down my wrist.

            "Oh whoa, Kagome, are you ok?"  Sango was on her feet, taking my arm carefully and examining it.  "That looks bad."

            "No, it just stings a lot." I winced, taking back my arm.  "The rain is just mixing with my blood and making it look like more."

            Suddenly a large rough hand closed gently around my wrist and I turned to see Inuyasha.  His expression was unreadable but his eyes held an obvious measure of concern.  "Hi…" I began slowly, but he cut me off.

            "We should get that patched up."

            Sango seemed worried, and stepped between us instantly.  "It's ok, Inuyasha.  It was an accident, I'll take care of it."

            Inuyasha shook his head, instructing me to hold my wrist higher so less blood would flow to it.  "No, you stay here and finish up, I'll take Kagome to clean this up."

            I smiled, liking this behavior.  I thought he would snap at me for being clumsy, but there was no sign of him being mad or even annoyed.

            "Ok…" Sango uttered, clearly surprised herself.  I shrugged at her as Inuyasha led me away, holding out his hand so the rain could wash my blood from his skin before stuffing them both in his pockets.

***

-The Grave Robber-

~~~

_            It was my sophomore year in college, and it was a Thursday night, the only night of the week we had to ourselves.  Every other evening one or both of us had either some commitment, or had to spend hours in the library doing homework.  Both of us were so devoted to achieving our goals that sometimes it was hard to find time to just be with each other, but we made it work._

_            Kikyou rummaged through the fridge, selecting various vegetables and tossing them over her shoulder for me to catch and arrange them on the cutting board.  We decided to make dinner ourselves that night, instead of going out like we usually did.  I whipped out a knife, twirling it once before poising my wrist to slice up a carrot._

_            "Show-off," she teased, coming up behind me and sliding her slender arms around my waist.  "I'll do that.  You take out the trash."_

_            I looked over my shoulder at her skeptically.  "Are you sure?"  Usually, because of her condition, Kikyou avoided dealing with anything sharp._

_            She nodded, releasing me and nudging me away from the counter with her hip.  "Yup, I can manage."_

_            I gave her one last testing glance before kissing her on the cheek and grabbing the trash, heading for the door of the small apartment we shared._

_            I was just about to reach for the doorknob when I head her hiss in pain, releasing the knife and letting it clatter to the floor.  Fuck, already?!_

_            I sighed, dropping the trash and turning back around, rubbing my forehead tiredly.  "Are you alright?  Did you cut yourself?"_

_            She answered my question in affirmative by racing away, locking herself in the bathroom.  Great, just fucking great, another Thursday night down the drain.  I grabbed our coats and my car keys, calmly walking across the room to lean against the bathroom door.  "You know," I said quietly.  "I offered to do it for you.  This is the last time I let you 'manage.'  I'm fucking tired of this, Kikyou."_

_            I moved away from the door and she came storming out, several layers of toilet paper wrapped around her hand.  "Well, I'm sorry I'm not perfect, Inuyasha," she snapped, shrugging into the coat I was holding for her._

_            I threw on my own coat, rolling my eyes.  "That's not what I said, but can you blame me for being irritated?"_

_            "Can you blame me for wanting to make dinner for my boyfriend like a normal woman?" she yelled back, glaring daggers at me._

_            My shoulders slumped at that.  I shouldn't have been so harsh - it wasn't her fault.  "I'm sorry…" I mumbled.  I reached out to catch her wrist to pull her into a hug, but my hand slipped away, causing me to glance down at it curiously.  My fingertips were covered with a slimy yellowish filmy substance, and its strong smell reminded me of my dreaded high school biology class.  "What's this?" I inquired as we exited the apartment, locking it behind us.  "Is this some balm you put on it?  It stinks."  I wrinkled my nose, chasing after her as she fled down the stairwell._

_            "It's nothing," she called back coldly.  "Take me to Kaede, _now_."_

_            Wiping my hand on the front of my pants, I followed her to my car.  This is what we do our nights alone.  Not a candlelight dinner, not making love by the fire… no, none of that.  Thursday nights at baba's.  Fucking romantic._

_~~~_

            I rifled through the cabinets in the first aid tent while Kagome rinsed her wound, a comfortable silence settling between us.  I couldn't explain my actions now, but when I'd smelled the first metallic hint of her blood before I was on my feet.  For some reason the thought of her hurt upset me… it upset me a lot.

            I frowned, pulling out the supplies I would need, troubled by my thoughts.  I was not surprised by Sango's reaction.  I rarely showed even that level of concern for anyone, let alone someone I'd only known for a few days.  I wondered if she would pick on me later about it, and I began to formulate excuses in my mind, when I head the faucet turn off, my attention drawn back to Kagome.

            She smiled brilliantly at me, and I couldn't help but smile slightly back, bowing my head so my bangs could conceal the happiness I knew that smile of hers reflected in my eyes.  "Thanks for doing this," she said softly, holding out her arm for me.

            I poured a little disinfectant on a cotton ball and began to dress her wound.  It really didn't look so bad now that the blood had been washed away.  "Sure."

            She didn't say anything for a while, but then a rush of nervous words tumbled out of her mouth.  "I'm really sorry about this, I'm not usually this clumsy, I guess it was just the-"

            "It's ok," I shrugged, tying the ends of the gauze and reaching for the athletic tape.  "Accidents happen."  I was just as surprised by my own words as she seemed to be.  Instantly berating myself, I held the gauze in place with one hand and ripped a piece of tape with my teeth.  What was wrong with being nice?  It's not like I was a _complete_ asshole.  I secured the patch with the tape and nodded once in approval.  "That should do it."

***

-The Tree Hugger-

I sat up in bed, unable to sleep with the bright, silvery light of the moon washing over me through the screened window next to my bed.  It was my habit to stay up on clear nights, staring at the sky for hours.  It had a very calming effect on me, and I somehow managed to find solace in the peace of the night.

I smiled slightly when I caught sight of my neatly bandaged arm.  He had been so careful with me, displaying tenderness I didn't know he was capable of.  I chided myself for assuming that he was so one-sided.  I had seen more of people in my life than I would have liked, and it did not become me to be so uncharacteristically naïve.

I swung my feet over the edge of my cot, deciding to take a short walk.  I knew I really should have been sleeping, I had another full day of work the following day, but I was restless.  So, pulling on some jeans under the oversized shirt I slept in, and slipping on my sandals, I lifted the flap of my tent and stepped outside.

The air was crisp, but warm enough to go without a jacket, and the storm had left not a cloud behind in the sky.  I turned my face up to take in the expanse of midnight blue studded with stars, and I began to walk.

Pretty soon I found myself in a clearing down by where we were digging.  It was beautiful, with no trees obstructing my view of the sky.  The tall grass, still wet from the earlier rain, licked at my ankles.  I paused, glancing down from the sky to see that I was not the only one enjoying the night.

I approached Inuyasha timidly, advancing until I stood beside his reclined figure.  He was lying on his back, his arms folded to pillow his head and his eyes lazily half open.  I knew he saw me, but he said nothing.  Finally, I spoke, but very softly.  It seemed the night was so still that too much noise would scare it away, send it dashing into the woods like a frightened fawn.  "Is there room for one more?"

He didn't even turn his head, just patted the ground beside him.  Careful not to sit on the long silver hair laid out beneath him, I slouched down near his hip, hugging my legs against my chest and resting my chin on my knees.  "So, what are you thinking about?"

He looked thoughtful, eventually settling on an answer.  "I'm wishing."

"Wishing?"

"Wishing on stars."

"I didn't think you were that type."

He laughed, his eyes creasing at the corners.  "What gave you that idea?  I'm a guy who spends his days looking for a magic gem.  If I'm not 'that type,' then who is?"

I smiled, and his eyes flickered over to mine to catch my expression before moving back to the sky as he continued.  "When I was really young, I used to wish on stars all the time."

I tried not to look at him too intently, out of fear that I might scare him out of being so open with me.

"But it never seemed to work… so I decided to look for something real, something tangible, something I could hold in my hand."

"The Shikon no Tama."

He nodded slightly, and I allowed my thirsty eyes to follow the strong slant of his jaw, the his numerously pierced right ear and over his silver hair as it shimmered in the moonlight, finally settling on his fierce eyes, which were at the softest I had seen them yet.  "You got it."  He sighed, turning his face towards me, and I blushed, looking away quickly.  "So," he said.  "When did you first know you wanted to find the Shikon?"

"When my mom told me the story for the first time," I replied instantly.  "I knew right away.  I just… knew."  Actually, that was the truth.  For several years, finding the Shikon no Tama _had_ been my dream, but dreams change… people change.

This seemed to interest him, and he perked up, looking at me curiously.  "Did your mom tell you a lot of stories?"

I nodded enthusiastically, smiling at the thought.  "So many, more than I will ever remember."

"My mom died giving birth to me," he said quietly.  "And my dad was a cop who was killed on the job.  I lived with my older brother who… is not much of a storyteller."

I stopped myself before I let out a coo of sympathy, and before I could run my hands soothingly though his incredibly soft looking hair.

"How about you tell me one."

I looked at him incredulously.  Was this Inuyasha?  The same asshole that barked orders at everyone all day?  Who smiled little and laughed less?  Who… treated my wounds so carefully?  His face was unreadable, once again turned skyward.

"A story?"

"Yes."

"What about?"

He shrugged a little.  "I don't care, anything."

For a moment, I felt like Wendy, telling a story to a very lost little boy.  Smiling at that, I searched my surroundings for some inspiration, my attention drawn once more to the heavens.  "Alright," I said finally.  "I'll tell you the story of Artemis, since there seems to be an Artemis moon tonight."  I licked my lips, trying to recall the details of the tale.  "Artemis was a Greek goddess, the daughter of Zeus and Leto.  She lived on Mt. Olympus and was a master archer.  She had the best marksmanship in the land, and everyone knew it.  See how the moon is just a sliver of a crescent tonight?  It's called an Artemis moon because it looks like the shape of her great bow.  She was also amazingly pure.  She was so pure that she protected undefiled girls everywhere, and could purify evil within her range.  She had no tolerance for perversion, and especially despised peeping toms."

"Keh," Inuyasha smirked.  "It doesn't sound like she would have liked Miroku very much."

I laughed.  "No, she wouldn't have.  But he would have loved her.  She was remarkably beautiful, and broke many hearts when she took an oath to remain a virgin forever."  I pointed to a group of stars to our left.  "See those stars there?"  Inuyasha's eyes followed my fingers obediently.  "That's Orion.  See, there's his belt, and his shoulders, and his knees… and those constellations next to him, those are his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor.  Anyway, Orion was a great hunter, son of Poseidon, one of the most powerful gods, and Euryale, a lowly gorgon.  Because Orion was not a full blooded god, he never quite fit in where he wanted to."  Inuyasha seemed oddly effected by this, but I didn't give it much thought and continued.  "He met Artemis and she was kind to him despite his being half-blooded, and he began to follow her.  It was not long before he fell in love.

Although Artemis was sworn to celibacy, she could not help but fall in love with Orion as well.  For a time, they were very happy together.  However, one night, while Orion was out swimming, Apollo, the sun god, approached Artemis.  He was jealous of how much time she was spending with Orion."

I paused, glancing down at Inuyasha as the end of the story came rushing back to me.  He seemed completely engrossed in what I was saying, and I cursed myself for choosing such a depressing story to tell him.  I considered changing the ending, but I had a feeling he would catch on, so I plowed through.

"Apollo pointed to something bobbing far out to sea, and insisted that Artemis could not hit it with her arrows.  Never one to pass up on defending her honor, Artemis picked up her bow and took aim, loosing an arrow that hit her target with expert precision.

Smirking to himself, Apollo fled the scene, leaving Artemis to find Orion's dead body washed up on the shore, alone with the realization that she had caused his death.  Her target had been Orion's head!  Apollo had tricked Artemis, using her own pride to destroy her lover.  If Apollo had not been jealous, if Artemis had not been so quick to bristle at the challenge, she would have lived happily ever after, side by side with Orion."

We were both silent for a while, the tension we had been free of so briefly, setting back in with a vengeance.  "Wow," he breathed.  "Sucks to be Orion."

I nodded, staring down at my feet.  We were both thinking about our own lives, our own problems, our own losses, but tonight, in some weird way… we were connected by them.  "Sucks to be Artemis, too."

^_^ Big thanks to my marvelous copy editor, The Angel Lilith, as well as VitaniFyreWolf and Himiko.  *Muah*  Suggestions, comments, and criticism are appreciated!


	5. Friend is a Four Letter Word

Just a few quick notes then on with the story ^_^  First off, thanks to everyone who has been reading this, and big hugs to those of you who have commented.  I really appreciate it!  And Cataluna, I'm sure you've heard this a lot, but my face totally lights up when I see you've read my story.  I look up to you so much!  Also, major thanks to Lilith for being my wonderfully talented copy editor.

Now, to answer someone's question, Inuyasha does not have his dog ears right now.  He has amber eyes, silver hair, and heightened senses, but other than that he looks like a human ^_^ sorry for the confusion.

I'd also like to give credit to some people.  The whole "grave robber/tree hugger" thing was actually inspired by my favorite piece of fanfiction ever; "The Spy and the Hitokiri" by Anna-neko.  If you're a Kenshin fan, go here:   and read it right now!  It's perfection, just perfection.  Also, there's a little description of Inuyasha's scent in here that was inspired by a part in "Enough" by Aki-chan here;   again, if you're an RK fan read read read!  It's beautiful. 

Chapter 4- Friend is a Four Letter Word

-The Grave Robber-

            I watched, annoyed if only to conceal my obvious concern, as Kagome ran ahead of me, tripping on a huge obvious tree root and falling flat on her face.

            Sometimes, it was near impossible to distinguish Kagome from Kikyou.  They had the same long sable hair, the same bright eyes, the same tendency to get hurt…

            I jogged to catch up, crouching down beside her as she sputtered, rising to her forearms.  "Damn, Kagome, how could you not have seen that root?"  I swear, that girl was a magnet for injury.  I had had to patch her up at least five times since the slate dropping incident a week earlier.  

            She turned her head to glare at me, eyebrows narrowed in a lame attempt to appear menacing.  "I told you, I felt something funny up there."  She jerked her head towards the direction she had been heading, pursing her lips.  "I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking."

            I rolled my eyes, resting my elbows on my knees as I studied her.  For the past two days Kagome and I had left camp at dawn on scouting expeditions.  We were trying to decide where to set up shop next, as our current location did not seem to be producing any results.  We would walk all day and return late at night, tired, sore, and aggravated.  Well actually, it was more like I walked, and she tripped or fell or walked into things or got hit by falling pinecones or something ridiculous like that.  I had even taken to carrying a first aid kit along on our little excursions, which I felt was stupid, considering we followed beaten paths for the most part.  Kagome could find a way to get hurt no matter where she was.  Damn, give the girl a safety pin and she'll find a way to accidentally stab herself with it and bleed to death.

            Bleed to death.  Kagome and Kikyou both.  Keh, sometimes the similarities between them were so distracting that I would slip up and call Kagome Kikyou, which I knew was a horrible thing to do.  I usually caught myself though, or corrected myself before Kagome seemed significantly bothered by my careless mistake.

            I sighed, running a hand through my hair and turning my gaze to the direction she had indicated.  "Felt something funny?"  To top things off, Kagome had a few 'funny feelings' during her day trips… ha ha, no pun intended.  She said it felt like some source of power was pulling her in specific directions.  Once or twice, when I had no better plans, I would concede and we would follow her 'feelings.'  Well, no this time, dearie.  Not when all we've found on your hunches have been a few big rocks and a very ancient looking tree with an old rope tied around it.

            "Yes!" she insisted, rolling over and sitting up.  "I keep telling you, something is puling me in that direction."

            "Kagome," I chided, rolling back on my heels.  "I'm not going on another one of  your wild goose chases."

            "What do you think this entire project _is_?" she gaped at me, clearly exasperated.  "We're looking for tiny miniscule shards!  They could be anywhere!"

            "_Not_ inside of a tree."

            "Why not??"

            "Because I said so."

            She huffed, brushing the dirt from her knees and straightening her shirt.  "Look, we have no other leads.  _No_ other leads.  We're just wandering aimlessly anyway, so why can't we follow my hunches?  And you know, I think we should have excavated the places I found before.  I really had a weird feeling about them.  I really think we were onto something."

            I growled slightly, standing up and crossing my arms over my chest.  "I've been on this project for months, I know what I'm doing.  You just got here and there's no way a few of your crazy hallucinations are going to turn the tables."

            She wasn't listening to me.  She had tried to rise to her feet but had collapsed , and now she was moaning and clutching her ankle.

            I was down at her side again in an instant, one of my hands soft on her shoulder and the other one moving her hands away so I could see for myself.  "Your ankle?  Did you twist it when you tripped?"

            She nodded, wincing when my fingers pressed gently to locate the injury.  "I think so."

            I frowned at the odd angle her foot now faced from her leg, knowing this was not something I should treat by myself.  A few scrapes and bruises I could handle, but possibly broken ankles should be left to the professionals.  I took her hands, helping her slowly to stand on her good foot as I rose myself.  I waited a second to steady her before turning around and glancing at her over my shoulder.  "Well?"

            She scoffed, wobbling a bit.  "I can't walk on this foot, you jerk.  Do you want me to hop?"

            I smirked.  "Of course not."  I looked towards the sky, noting the twilight quickly moving in.  "We should get back to camp and have that looked at.  We can investigate that hunch of yours tomorrow."  She was still staring at me blankly, so I tapped the small of my back pointedly.  "Come on, I'll carry you."

            She laughed, her warm brown eyes twinkling as she placed her hands on her hips.

            I blew my bangs out of my eyes absently.  "Here, I'll make it easier for you."  I pulled my hair over one shoulder, kneeling in the dirt and bowing my head.  

            I heard her giggle once more before her hands settled on my shoulders, her slender fingers spreading over the muscles there slowly and tentatively.

            She paused, her voice uncertain.  "Are you sure about this?"

            I raised an eyebrow, although she could not see my face with my back still to her.  "Would you rather limp back to camp?"

            In a moment her chest was pressed up against my back and her arms slid loosely around my neck, and as I stood carefully I hoisted her up higher behind me, my hands cupping the underside of her thighs just behind her knees.

            I began to walk at an easy pace in the direction we had come from, smiling softly when she relaxed against me, resting her chin on one of my shoulders and her smooth cheek tilted against my neck.  "Thank you, Inuyasha," she murmured, her delicate hands toying with the wooden beads of my necklace.

            "It's ok, you're very light…" And it feels nice to have you so close to me.  "Just try not to trip so much."  She scoffed, her sweet breath puffing warmly through the thin threads of my shirt.  I inhaled, attempting to be discrete about it.  Kagome always smelled good, even now with the thin film of sweat covering her skin from our day's walk.  "You're welcome, Kagome."

***

-The Tree Hugger-

~~~

_            "Did they love each other, Mama?"_

_            For my third birthday, my mother gave me a butterfly net and told me the story of the Shikon no Tama.  After I blew out the three pink candles on my birthday cake and dressed my dolls in the new clothes my grandfather had given me, she and I had set out for the wilderness that was my back yard._

_            We were seated side by side in the dew kissed grass, gazing out over our tiny flower garden as I waved my new butterfly net steadily back and forth, like a pendulum.  She had just begun the story, opening with "There once was a beautiful miko and a brave hanyou boy" and already I was asking urgent questions._

_            She smiled lovingly down at my toothy grin of curiosity.  "Who, Kagome-chan?"_

_            I gave her a 'duh' look.  "The girl and the boy."  It seemed like common sense to me.  I had heard a story every day of my life, and I considered myself quite an expert.  They all began the same way; a man and a woman were in love, or they would be eventually.  Maybe he would kill a dragon for her, maybe she would heal him with her tears, maybe they would have to travel distances to find each other, but when all was said and done, the two of them would live happily ever after and in love._

_            She hesitated, her comforting hands carefully parting my hair so she could braid it while she told me the story, as she always did.  "Kagome-chan… you're three years old, a big girl now."_

_            I nodded proudly, wiggling my toes in my pink sparkly sandals._

_            She continued.  "This story is my favorite story, and you will like it, but it's different from all the rest that I have told you."  She paused thoughtfully, her fingers gently tugging snarls from my dark tresses.  "You will learn that people don't love each other 'just cause.'  Life does not follow the plans of a fairytale, Kagome.  People love each other because they are brave or kind of beautiful or smart, and because the two people have seen a lot of scary things together and need each other to feel safe and warm and happy."_

_            I was a little confused, this was a lot for me to absorb.  I just stared at her, wide-eyed._

_            "Kagome, love is not just something you do, or something you have that gets you a castle and a horse and a pair of glass slippers.  It's something you feel, right here.  "She patted my chest affectionately.  By now I had set down my net, deciding to suck on an already prune-ish thumb instead.  "And it's really love when you can look past a person's bad points and care for them so much anyway.  Kagome-chan, the people in this story are not perfect.  They are dashing, gentle, and kind, but they are also greedy and mean and selfish and jealous.  Do you still want to hear it?"_

~~~

            As night began to fall, Inuyasha's pace quickened to a jog, and then a run.  "What's the rush?" I gasped, holding on tight as we sped between the trees.  My hair had come loose from its tie at some point, and now it mixed with his own silky strands, framing our faces.

            "I don't want to travel in the dark," Inuyasha explained, and I was amazed at how even his breath was after all that running.  "I don't want you to get hurt if _I _trip."

            I restrained an 'aww' at that, snuggling closer to him and turning my face against the warm skin of his neck.  Inuyasha's customary gruffness only made his tender moments all the more endearing.

            I blushed, hiding my flustered face behind the curtain of our hair.  Things had changed a lot between us in a week.  After that first stargazing night he had treated me with a new respect I was far from used to.  True, he still shot me with his fair share of crass arrogant comments, but that was just the way he was.  I knew he still defended the walls he had carefully constructed around himself, but he had stopped shooting me from the battlements, and that was certainly a start.  I couldn't speak for him, but I considered Inuyasha a good friend.

            He swallowed heavily, I felt it against my forehead.  "Kagome…" he murmured, as if with great difficulty.  "If I'm especially harsh with you on these little trips, it's just because I'm worried."

            I perked up in surprise, scooching up a little higher on his back.  I had just been thinking the opposite, how much kinder he had been to me.  What caught my attention was the last part.  "Worried?"

            He sighed, his brow creasing in thought.  "If I don't find something by the end of the month, the university will stop funding me."  He shook his head, his shoulders drooping a little.  "I just… I've worked too hard to watch this die before it's even started.  I can't even begin to explain how important this is to me.  I…" he smirked, giving my legs a gentle squeeze.  "Well, I'm sure you understand, this is your project, too."

            I blinked.  That was definitely the first time he had ever even _hinted_ at joint possession of the project.  I opened my mouth to speak, but he continued.

            "I _know_ the Shikon no Tama is out there," he stated firmly.  "I can feel it, I always have.  It's like it's right in front of me, and I can't see it because I'm not looking from the right angle."

            I chewed thoughtfully on my lower lip, trying to think of something encouraging to say.  "Well, maybe if we try a different technique."

            He sighed, kicking a pebble along with his toe and popping me up a little higher on his back.  "Like what?"

            "Well," I began slowly, thinking as I spoke.  "We need to buy ourselves some time, right?  If we can convince the board of trustees to renew our funding, then we'll have the chance to refine our search.  So basically, we just need _something_ to show them."

            Inuyasha nodded, picking a new stone when he finally kicked the last one out of his reach.  "_Anything_."

            "But we have _nothing_."

            He smirked.  "Wow Kagome, you're more observant than you let on."

            I smacked him lightly on the arm and his smile lit up the side of his face that I could see from my position, his golden eyes creasing at the corners.  He was adorable when he just relaxed.  Without thinking, I ran my fingers down his bare forearm, my lips turning up slightly at the corners.  "You should smile like that more often… it looks good on you."

            He raised his eyebrows, turning his face to the side so he could look at me before nodding slightly and turning back.  "You should wear your hair down more often, it looks good on you."

            I blushed, fumbling for a response.  "Well, considering my line of work, that wouldn't be very practical."

            He shrugged, his fingers flexing under my legs.  "Well, considering my line of work, smiling so often wouldn't be very practical, either."

            "Why do you say that?"

            "Look at me, Kagome," he hissed, his gaze focused on the ground in front of him.  "Do I look normal to you?  Silver hair, yellow eyes?"

            I was silent.  His voice was harsh and short, but beneath the volume of his anger was hurt.  I smiled gently, taking a long strand of his soft hair in my hand and twining it around my index finger.  "I like it."  I released his hair, watching it unwind and fall back against his chest.  "_Unique_ silver hair, _brilliant_ yellow eyes.  Be nicer to yourself, you make yourself sounds scary."

            "Being scary is better than being a joke," he spat, his pace quickening once again.  "I don't want people to look at me as unique, and I only want them to see me as brilliant mentally.  Because I'm young and I look different, I can't get away with being buddy buddy with my staff.  Don't you get it?  I can't just laugh and smile all the time and expect them to respect me."

            I squeezed his shoulders affectionately.  "So giving piggy-back rides and laughing about hairstyles does not count as being buddy buddy?"

            He growled, dropping me abruptly.  I fell on my butt in the dirt, a sharp pain shooting through my ankle causing me to cry out.  He whirled around, his eyes stony with fury.  "You really want to walk, don't you?!  I was carrying you because you are hurt.  If you want to crawl back to camp, I have no problem with that!"

            Tears of pain sprang into my eyes as I pressed my palms into the ground, trying to lift myself up but to no avail.  My ankle throbbed horribly and I ground my teeth together, barely suppressing a whimper.

            Inuyasha visibly paled and his eyes grew frightened and wide.  "Aw, hell, don't cry, Kagome!"

            Owww!  I couldn't contain it any more.  I burst into tears, clutching my ankle and rocking back and forth like the little girl I once was.

            He rushed to my side, hand hesitantly steadying me, anxious eyes flickering over my shaking form frantically.  "Ah!  Kagome!  Are you alright?"

            "No, I'm not!"  I spat, gasping for breath and shooting him a dirty look.  "You dropped me!"

            "You mocked me!"

            "My ankllllllllle!"

            He took me awkwardly in his arms, dragging me carefully into his lap.  "Shh," he soothed, running one hand slowly down my spine and moving my hands from my ankle with the other.  "Ok, ok, we'll take care of this."

            The safety of his embrace calmed me somewhat, and my sobs were reduced to pitiful sniffles.  I looked up at him bitterly, but my anger was instantly melted by the blatant concern etched into his handsome features.

            Sango had told me once that Inuyasha hadn't looked at anyone the way he looked at me.  Not for years, anyway.

            I contemplated this as the pain in my ankle faded to the back of my mind.  I smiled slightly, reaching up hesitantly to brush a few of his wild bangs out of his face.  The twilight emphasized the curve of his jaw and the sparkle of his eyes and the smoothness of his lips.  My gaze settled on his lips as I wondered if he kissed the way he acted; confidently, dominantly, swiftly, spontaneously, passionately, enticingly…

            I closed my eyes briefly, willing my thoughts back to safer ground.  Kissing him right now would just piss him off.  He'd just been telling me about his struggle to remain professional with his coworkers, the last thing he needed was me launching myself at him.  It seemed we were thinking along the same lines though, because when I opened my eyes slowly they were caught by his own heated amber pair, our lips mere inches apart.  I gazed up at him through half-lowered lashes, the tip of my tongue darting out to wet my lips quickly, my breath turning shallow and short.

            He smelled like starlight, like fresh snow, like hope and courage and protection.  He smelled like the cool summer nights when my mother and I would sit out on the back porch and catch fireflies in large glass jars.  Maybe you think these things don't have a smell, but they do.  They smell like Inuyasha.

            I tilted my chin back a little when he leaned in closer, and our lips were so near that our breath mingled between us and I could taste traces of him between my eagerly parted lips.

            But this was wrong.  Inuyasha wanted to be professional.  He wanted me to be his employee, and maybe, at the moment, who he was really thinking of was not me, but the girl who often mistook me for.  The name he always called me and thought I didn't notice, thought I didn't care.

            Kikyou.

            I turned my face to the side, catching out of the corner of my vision the way he jerked up suddenly, eyes wide and surprised.  Frightened, even.  "I did not mean to mock you, Inuyasha," I murmured.  "Only to say that I consider you a… friend… but I still obey you.  Our… friendliness… does not make me respect you any less."

            He barely nodded, swallowing heavily.  "Friends…" he whispered, turning around so I could crawl onto his back once more.  The air seemed colder when he hoisted me up this time, the sky a deep purple and the first stars beginning to appear.  His pace was slower, still swift, but lacking the flawless self assurance of before.  "Friends."

***

-The Grave Robber-

            I stood near the opening to her tent, gently setting her on the ground and guiding her to the entrance.  My thoughts were already on other things - calling the physician to come look at her ankle, what was for breakfast the next day, what to tell the funding committee - anything but the beautiful girl beside me who was my… friend.

            For days I had been struggling with the fact that Kagome was not just my business partner anymore, and now I could not stand the idea that she was not more than a friend.  It had been a year since Kikyou left me, and since then everything had been a blur, a day by day routine, living for the sake of living.  All I knew was that when I was with Kagome, the Earth seemed to stand still and things made sense.  Maybe our job was to chase after a fantasy, but Kagome was real, she was so real.  She was bright, she was clear, she was warmer than Kikyou ever was.  

            She paused in her doorway, hand fisted in the canvas beside her to keep her balance.  We stared at each other for a minute, unblinking and expressionless.  I wondered if she felt empty like I did.  I wondered if she wished we had kissed.  I wondered if she pictured the 'there-afters' like I did; rushing home, tangled sheets, two satiated archaeologists.  I decided she probably didn't share my thoughts on that last one.

            Finally, she spoke.  "I don't know who Kikyou is, Inuyasha, but I am Kagome.  Ka.  Go.  Me."

            She was hurt, her eyes sad and full of regret and uncertainty.  I hadn't even realized she'd noticed my slip-ups, let alone been so torn by them.  Guilt and shock washed over me as I held up my hands helplessly.

            She continued.  "When you work with me, you are working with Kagome.  When you carry me, you are carrying Kagome.  When you yell at me, you are yelling at Kagome."  She paused, sighing.  "And Inuyasha… if you kiss me, you will be kissing Kagome.  Not Kikyou, Kagome."

            I rushed to her, my arms sliding around her slender waist and my neck bending, moving in to kiss _Kagome_.  I needed her.   I needed her close to me, I needed her lips against mine and her skin on my skin and her hand in mine and our limbs tangled together.  She set my world straight, and I needed her.

            My eyes flew open when she held up a hand against my lips, smiling woefully.  "But you will not kiss me."

            "I won't?" I asked incredulously against her fingertips, stifling the urge to bestow upon them the affection her lips had refused me.

            "No, you won't," she stated with a firm shake of her head.  "Because we're just friends, right boss?"

            I smiled slightly, slowly releasing her until I held merely her soft hands in mine.  "Ah, my _friend_, _Kagome_, do you suppose, _Kagome_, that when we go back to civilization for the meeting with the board, you might want to… you being _Kagome_, have a _friendly_ dinner with me?"

            She glared at me skeptically, withdrawing her hands and crossing her arms over her chest.  "How friendly?"

            "Very friendly."

            She smiled slyly.  "Are you asking me on a date, Inuyasha?"

            "Yes."

            "Wouldn't that, considering our status as _friends_, be wildly inappropriate?"

            "Yes."

            "And that doesn't bother you?"

            "No."

            She stepped back into her tent.  "Well, it bothers me.  I am afraid our meals together will have to remain purely platonic."

            I grinned.  The smile on her face was now playful and eager and coy.  She was baiting me, and I would bite.  I 'd let her go for now, but it was only a matter of time before I had my dinner _and_ my dessert.  

Platonic.  The idea.

I pressed my hands to my chest, staggering backwards a few steps in mock heartbreak.  "Oh, then I am like Orion… shot down."

            She laughed, closing the door and just peeking her head through the flap.  "And who am I supposed to be?"

            "You can be Canis," I joked.  "My hunting dog.  Loyal, faithful, and man's best _friend_."

            "Now _I'm_ the dog?"

            I shrugged, stuffing my hands in my cargo pockets and walking backwards away from her.  "Well, who else can be the dog?  Certainly not me…" I trailed off.  "Never mind.  Goodnight Kagome."


	6. House Call

A.N. Thanks for the feedback you guys, it's really helpful and motivating!  And of course, huge ultra mega thanks to Lilith for being my copy editor.  She's the best thing since Pocky, and I loooove pocky!

Oh yeah, I pushed the rating of this up to R.  There's really nothing 'bad' in it right now, but I think eventually it will get kind of racy and there's some harsh language.  I just want to be on the safe side.

Chapter 5- House Call

-The Tree Hugger-

            I chose a bad day to wear a skirt, I realized with a blush, as I pressed my knees tightly together.  I was seated reluctantly on the smooth cool metallic surface of the long table in the medical tent.  I turned my face to the side, resting my chin on my shoulder and closing my eyes.  It was getting increasingly difficult to ignore Inuyasha's advances, and with him crouched now at my feet, fingers working swiftly at my shoelaces, it was all I could do not to make room for him on the table beside me… or under me… or on top… however he wanted it done.

            "A little early to undress me, wouldn't you say, Inuyasha?"  I rasped out, eyes still gently closed.

            "No such thing," he chided, removing my shoe and grasping my already tensed calf with his right hand while he slowly tugged off my sock with his left.  His fingers were warm and strong on my leg, sending an involuntary shiver up my spine, causing my cheeks to rose even more.  He must have noticed, because he ran his blunt nails tantalizingly slowly down the back of my leg to my heel before releasing my foot.

            We were waiting for the doctor to come.  Inuyasha had sent for one to treat my ankle, and now he decided that we should 'prepare my ankle for examination.'  He also decided that I definitely needed his help to do so.  

            I grinned, peeping one eye open to glare at him sternly.  "You don't have a foot fetish, do you?"

            A third voice spoke then, low and velvety, one I did not recognize.  "I would not put that past him."

            I opened both my eyes this time, turning to the doorway to see a tall lithe figure, quite sleek in his grey suede Armani.  Stunning burning golden eyes gazed out calmly from the shadow of his fedora hat, which he tilted politely in salutation.  

            I blinked in amazement, wondering what such a richly dressed gentleman could possibly be doing out in the sticks.  It was only when I noticed the old fashioned black physician's bag that his occupation dawned on me.  "Doctor?"

            "Sesshomaru!"  Inuyasha had leapt to his feet, his face white with shock.  "What are you doing here?!?"

            The doctor, Sesshomaru I suppose, ducked gracefully into the tent, regarding Inuyasha coolly.  "Someone requested a physician."

            Inuyasha gaped at him.  "I called the emergency medical dispatch… not _you_!"

                Sesshomaru hummed his discontent, removing his hat to reveal a head of long, neat silver hair that was tied back into a low ponytail.  It was then that I made the unmistakable connection.  Relatives?

            "I just happened to be the one on duty," Sesshomaru commented offhandedly.  "Besides, what a perfect chance for me to visit my dear little brother."

            "Little… little brother?" I choked, marveling at the new information.  So this was the brother Inuyasha had mentioned… he had said his brother was not much of a storyteller; and he certainly didn't look like one, either.

            "You haven't talked to me for years," Inuyasha ground out between clenched teeth.

            Clicking his tongue chidingly, Sesshomaru approached the table, setting down his bag and removing his elegant black gloves.  "Why bring up the misfortunes of the past?  You're just bitter because when Father was killed he left me his medical practice, and you that… strange accessory."  He waved his hand dismissively at the loose necklace Inuyasha always wore.

            I'd never really looked at it before, but it was rather unique.  It looked very old, with large dark beads and unusual teeth I could not identify.  I smiled at the thought that his father left it for him, fingering my own necklace through the thin weave of my shirt.  Maybe we could swap stories sometime.

            "Why bring up the misfortunes of the past?"  Inuyasha echoed angrily, watching Sesshomaru like a hawk as the doctor arranged his supplies.

            Sighing, the older brother turned his gaze to me, his piercing eyes making me feel slightly uncomfortable.  "I assume you are my patient?"

            I nodded once before Inuyasha cut in.  "She's my new partner, Higurashi Kagome."  He was now standing to the side, watching his sibling's every move with rapt, unwavering attention.

            Sesshomaru smiled slightly.  "Ah, is that what they're calling it these days?"

            At first, Inuyasha began to smile rather cockily, but then he seemed to catch himself and snarled instead.  "You're an ass, Sesshomaru."

            Shaking his head disappointedly, Sesshomaru glared pointedly at his little brother.  "I thought I taught you better than to use foul language in the presence of women."

            I giggled at that.  "Ass" was kindergarten speak according to Inuyasha's standards.  Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, but Sesshomaru ignored him, turning his polite attention completely to me.  "Miss Higurashi, why don't you tell me what seems to be the problem?"

            "Well, I tripped over a tree root and fell," I explained plainly.  "And I did something to my ankle in the process.  I'm not sure exactly what is wrong with it, but it's causing me a lot of pain and I can't walk on it."

            Sesshomaru nodded, kneeling in front of me and raising his hands to take hold of my ankle.  "Ok, let's have a look…"

            "Hey!" Inuyasha snapped instantly.  "Don't touch her!"

            "Inuyasha!" I scolded, folding my arms over my chest and raising an eyebrow.  He shrank back like a puppy that had been reprimanded, settling in the corner and scowling darkly at his brother.

            "I am a licensed medical doctor, I am quite sure I will not damage your new… "'partner.'"  I winced a little when Sesshormaru's now gently probing fingers hit a sensitive spot, causing Inuyasha to bristle a little and bare his teeth.  Sesshomaru ignored him, standing with a sigh and replacing his gloves and hat.  

            "That's it?" I questioned, surprised by the brevity of the examination.  "No x-rays or anything?"

            The doctor raised an eyebrow at me, collecting his things before closing his bag with a snap.  "Pardon me for saying so, but I am _very_ good at what I do."

            I smiled meekly, bowing my head subconsciously in subservience.  Everything about Sesshomaru's presence radiated dominance.  I could only imagine the power struggles he and Inuyasha must have had when they lived together.

            "There are no breaks," Sesshomaru reported.  "You twisted it when you fell, and pilled a few of your tendons.  It will heal by itself if you stay off it and massage it every day.  It's hard to do it yourself, so I suppose my brother could be of some assistance there."  He glanced darkly at Inuyasha.  "It is only your ankle that needs treatment.  Not your calf, not your thigh, not your… anywhere else.  Don't allow him to tell you otherwise."

            "Hey!" Inuyasha cut in, approaching us angrily.  "You're mistaking me for Miroku."

            Sesshomaru dismissed his objection, moving towards the door.  "Inuyasha, may I have a word with you?"  
            Inuyasha grunted an affirmative and Sesshomaru nodded once at me before exiting the tent.  "Take care, Miss Higurashi."

            "Stay here, Kagome," Inuyasha instructed before following behind his brother.

***

-The Grave Robber-

~~~

_            I never could remember my father.  When I was really young, I used to fantasize about what he might have been like.  Sometimes I would pretend my dad and I were brave samurai battling the bad guys.  Sometimes we were saving the world from alien invaders.  Sometimes we were just playing soccer.  It didn't matter, it was always just he two of us, and we always won._

_            "I know what you're doing," Sesshomaru scolded me once, when I was five and had just tracked mud through his spotless apartment.  I lived there, but it was never my home.  Everything in it was expensive: priceless statues and original paintings, rare manuscripts and one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture.  Everything prescribed to my half-brother's 'look but do not touch' policy.  "Playing make-believe is for toddlers.  It's about time you grew up."  He sat me down in front of the dark footprints I had made in the thick, white, plush carpet, and supplied me with cleaning chemicals and a rag.  He tapped his foot impatiently.  "Clean up your own messes, and clean up our name while you're at it."  Sesshomaru sighed, sinking deep into his Italian leather sofa and watching with keen observation as I half-heartedly scrubbed at the carpet.  "I suppose it's not your fault Father got mixed up with that 'miko.'  But you're the product of that disgusting affair of theirs and now I have to deal with you."  He clicked his tongue disdainfully, crossing his legs ankle to knee.  "Can't you work any faster?  You definitely got your laziness from your mother.  My mother is an accountant… definitely not lazy.  And Father?  It baffles the mind how he managed to be a police officer and still head up that medical practice of his… well, mine.  It's mine now."  He chuckled.  "But that was Father for you.  Always such a humanitarian."_

_            I avoided that apartment like the plague.  Most of the time I messed around in the sandlot behind the large brick building where my half-brother worked.  For a little while there were a few other kids who showed up to play tag, but I think I was too rough or too bossy, because they stopped coming.  Then it was just me and my dad; scaling mountains, elephant hunting, drag racing… finding an overgrown path at the back of the sandlot, hidden behind a medical waste dumpster, that lead to a graveyard._

_            The path was very narrow, and lined by scraggly raspberry bushes that cut into my shins when I wedged my way through.  On the other side was a gigantic field that appeared endless from my tiny perspective.  The field was of neat freshly mowed grass, and was crisscrossed by thin paved walkways and dotted with pink sakura trees in full bloom.  Of course, it was the graves that really stood out.  There were rows and rows of them, thousands of gleaming white stones, or tall angel-topped tombs, or just bronze plaques that rested close to the ground._

_            It was overwhelming, that field of the dead, and I remember thinking I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life.  I was a pretty deprived kid._

_            I began at one end of the field, with a short pillar-shaped stone that marked the grave of a 'beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.'  I was determined to read every grave in the entire cemetery. Searching for that one familiar name.  I was only five and could barely read, so it sometimes took me a good 15 minutes to sound out all of the words on a single stone, and even then I didn't understand half of them.  I read hundreds and hundreds of inscriptions, epitaphs, and dates.  Sometimes the sun reflected off the bright marble so that I had to shade my eyes to read, and sometimes it rained and I would shiver and curl in on myself while continuing my quest.  So many names.  So many people.  I knew none of them.  In the face of so many bodies I was grasped with the realization of how little I knew, how small I was, how utterly alone._

_            Sesshomaru did not take me to the sandlot every day, maybe only once or twice a week, and although my reading skills improved over the years, and although I discovered the towering wrought iron gate that was the main entrance off of the highway, it wasn't until I was 10 that I had read every gravestone in that wide field._

_            The grave I was looking for was the last one I read, in the far corner, the farthest from where I had begun.  It occurred to me that had I started at the other end, I would have saved myself five years of reading, but I wasn't really upset about it._

_            My father's grave was neglected and ordinary.  He had been dead nine years and it looked like nobody ever visited him.  I guess that made some sense.  My mother was dead.  My half-brother resented my father, and his mother (my father's wife) never forgave my father for cheating on her with a fortuneteller.  No one cared that he had been a courageous cop or a lifesaving doctor.  The affair that I was born from condemned him in life, and now in death.  I cried at my father's grave.  I cried because I never knew my father, I never had a chance to be mad at him, or proud of him, or embarrassed of him, I never knew him.  I never knew my own father.  I cried because I didn't care what bad things he did.  I didn't even care what good things he did.  I just wanted a dad.  And after seeing my father's name carved into a slab of granite, just above the dates of his birth and his death, his ghost did not come out to play with me any more.  My fantasies could not deny the cold hard fact that he was dead, and he was never coming back.  No more adventures, no more saving the world.  I was just alone.  Just alone._

~~~

            "Father is dead, Inuyasha, but there is no reason to let his bad habits live on through you by fraternizing with women of such irritating professions."  Sesshomaru and I stood a few feet away from the medical tent.  I was surprised he even had the mercy to chide me in private.

            "I know you don't approve of my field," I scoffed, my jaw clenching impatiently, but my half-brother just shook his head.

            "No, archaeologists are bad enough.  But her sorry bunch of whining hippies… I had hoped you had better taste than that."

            I raised my eyebrows, bewildered.  "What are you talking about?"  Kagome?  So she liked to complain… what did that have to do with hippies?

            Sesshomaru closed his eyes gently, massaging his temples with his thumb and forefinger.  "Never mind.  I don't have the time to puzzle over your choice of staff."  He sighed, eyes open again and scrutinizing.  "Inuyasha, the country is watching you, you know.  Everyone is amazed that some college dropout is trying to find the legendary Shikon no Tama.  I'm embarrassed to share my surname with such a radical lunatic.  However, if you're going to continue this search, then find it.  Find the damn jewel already.  Make some effort to clear the good name you tarnished with your bastard birth."

            I felt my blood boil through his little sermon, and as he finished, it was all I could do not to wrap my calloused hands around that fucking alabaster neck of his and stop his preaching then and there.  "You're living in the past, my lord," I seethed, digging my heels into the dirt in an effort to restrain myself.  "Almost half the world's population was produced out of wedlock.  And if you don't want to share a name with me, then change it.  I'm just as disgusted by our connection as you are.  I will find the Shikon no Tama, because I want to, not because I want to make your life any easier."  I was frustrated to see that Sesshomaru was not listening to me at all any more, rather he was looking blankly through the doorway to the medical tent and prompting me to follow his gaze.

            Kagome was standing by one of the screened windows, leaning on her good leg and oblivious to our conversation.  She had her hair down (I noticed she kept it that way more often since I'd said I liked it) and she was gazing out into the distance with an expression of deep tranquility gracing her soft features.  She looked… like Kikyou.  I felt my corners of my lips tug up at the picture she made, but my thoughts were cut short by my half-brother's goading snicker.

            "You go through them like cigarettes, don't you?"

***

            Later that afternoon, after Sesshomaru had left before I could kill him, Kagome and I sat in the grass in what I had affectionately dubbed our clearing.  Our stargazing had become a regular occurrence, as had her storytelling.  There was something about her voice that soothed the turmoil inside me that I hadn't even been aware was there.  Listening to her was addictive, and I was much more surprised to find her in our clearing every night than I was at my continuing to show up.

            Sango always scolds me for my lack of commitment.  I usually just 'keh' at her chiding, but really, it's ridiculous.  I commit.  I commit everything I have… if I like you enough.

            I had liked Kikyou a lot.

            Okay, I had loved Kikyou.  I don't think there is anything I can do or say to change the way I had felt about her, or how utterly devastated I had been when it ended.  But sitting with Kagome in our clearing made me wonder why exactly I had loved Kikyou as much as I had.  As obvious the reasons for my growing affections towards Kagome were, the force behind my love for Kikyou was equally discrete.  Kagome was kind, smart, beautiful, thoughtful, and Kikyou… well, Kikyou was beautiful.  Kikyou knew she was beautiful.  Kikyou was the most incredible narcissist I have ever known.  She spent almost as much time in front of the mirror as she did studying.  Kikyou was also a conceited, arrogant bitch.  I used to think that lovingly, but now I think it because I want to believe that I don't need her any more, that she was never good for me in the first place, that I don't miss her at all.  It feels good to think badly of Kikyou.

            And then it feels terrible.

            And then I remember why I was in love with her.

            It didn't matter if Kikyou was moody, if she would lash out at me sometimes at random or blame me for things I had nothing to do with.  It didn't matter if Kikyou was controlling, if she always decided what we did and where and why without any comments from the peanut gallery (me).  It didn't even matter when Kikyou was careless and cut herself and got that smelly salve of hers all over me when I smuggled her to Kaede's.  No matter what Kikyou did, I loved her, and I always would.  I loved Kikyou because she loved me.  I needed her because she needed me.  Because I had spent a lifetime in a sandlot with my imaginary father, and as much as I loved him… the dead just can't love back.

***

-The Tree Hugger-

            For me at least, the silence was growing uncomfortable.  I spoke Inuyasha's name, and it hung in the air without any indication of a response.  He was staring blankly out towards the horizon, obviously lost in thought.  I wondered if he was thinking about the argument he had had with his brother earlier.  I hadn't been able to make out their words, but it was clear to me that they were having quite a disagreement.

            "Inuyasha…" I tried again, leaning towards him slightly, tucking a strand of my long black hair behind my ear.  When he didn't respond, I reached out a hand and touched his knee timidly.

            He sighed, finally turning his face to look at me.  I went rigid, completely unprepared for the unchecked pain I found in his deep amber eyes.  It was the pain of emptiness, the pain of loneliness, the pain of loss.  It was a pain I had felt too many times before.  "Yes, Kagome?"

            I fisted my hands in the soft grass beneath us.  At that moment, all I wanted to do was throw my arms around him and keep him close to me, keep him warm and safe, and far from the thoughts that were hurting him so much.  I held myself back.  Inuyasha did not need to be mothered.  He did not need me to confuse him with my affection when I had been making a very constant effort to preserve our status as friends.  So I just smiled warmly, trying to conceal my sympathy.  "How about I tell you another story?  A happy one this time."

            He leaned back on his hands with a smirk, and I grinned as the darkness left his features, even though some of the hurt remained.  "Not a romance," he dictated, shaking some of his wild silver bangs out of his eyes.  "How about something strange, with animals that can talk and stuff.  Do you know any of those?"

            My smile only grew.  Talking animals were the best at taking your mind off of unpleasant things.  "I know lots of those."


	7. Disarm

VERY IMPORTANT A.N. - Inuyasha's cycles are different in this story. I am aware of the times and effects in the anime, so don't think I'm making a mistake, I just had to change things a little to work with the plot. In time it will make sense, I promise . Also, the Ookami Foundation… yeah, that's actually not a reference to Ookami-chan, despite how much I admire her. Ookami, as I understand it, means wolf, and there's a society in my story called the Ookami Foundation, or Wolf Foundation. There is absolutely no copying/stealing/other acts of bad will intended. Oh yeah, and the name of the chapter and the lyrics in it are Smashing Pumpkins all the way. Great band. So sad they are no more. Big thanks to my awesomely awesome beta readers, Lilith and VitaniFyreWolf!

Chapter 6- Disarm

The Grave Robber-

__

The muscles of my arms burned because of my condition, straining when normally they would not have. The wood had begun to chafe my hands, blisters forming over my palms as I unearthed more and more ground. It was cold and damp. I shivered.

She gasped and I gaped, stumbling back. The light was so dim, but something was moving. Someone was crying. _My stomach was a tangle of disgusted knots. Dull, silver coins were pressed into my hand and I ran. I ran, but the crying didn't stop. It rang in my ears when I tripped. Something was moving… it was moving… crying…_

Damn the moon! I was soaked in sweat when I sat upright in my bed, curling over and resting my head in my hands. It was the same as before, the same as the last time and the time before that. It didn't matter how many times my shadows chased after me; it never lessened the shock, or the fear, or the deep, unshakable horror that rooted itself in the pit of my stomach. I slammed my fists onto the bed beside me, unable to quell my shaking, angry that I was succumbing to the same visions yet again. Swearing under my breath, I cast a furious glare out the window, cursing the huge and almost full glowing orb hanging in the night sky, illuminating the camp around me. Here I was, one of the most prodigious working archaeologists and still I was dictated by the phases of the moon; still I suffered from children's nightmares. When I find the Shikon no Tama, my little dependencies and fears are going to be the first things to go.

Heaving a great sigh, I fell back against the mattress, lifting a hand to my forehead and contemplating the work I would have to do that day. The board was waiting for evidence, the pressure increasing each day I searched so hard and came home with nothing. They were growing impatient, their warnings about the end of my funding no longer something I could just toss aside like junk mail. I had to show them something, fast, and having the full moon so close was not helping things. There were still about 24 hours before the change, and my senses were already starting to fail me.

Not that that was such a bad thing, all around. It was actually nice not to be able to smell all of the mold in this place once and a while. My acute sense of smell sometimes came in handy, but more often it was a nuisance. My sight, on the other hand, that was just a pain in the ass to lose. Looking for Shikon shards was much more difficult to do when my range was half its normal distance. And my hearing and my sense of touch… yeah, today was just not a good time to be like everyone else.

The Tree Hugger-

As the deadline grew closer, Inuyasha grew more and more frantic. His flirtation all but disappeared, giving way to his gruff, businesslike nature more and more often. The only time he ever seemed to relax was when he was treating my ankle, but now that my injury was starting to heal and called for less attention, even that didn't seem to distract him.

"It's really nice out, isn't it, Inuyasha?" I smiled warmly at him, tucking a few strands of my raven hair behind my ears. We were sitting out on the makeshift porch of his office with my foot in his lap, trying to enjoy the unusual balminess of the morning.

He didn't even look up, seemingly intent on the gentle message he was giving my ankle.

"Yup."

I sighed, my gaze flitting out over the treetops. "Don't the trees look pretty, swaying in the breeze like that?"

Aside from the careful stroke of his fingers, he remained motionless. "Yup."

I glared at him crossing my arms over my chest stubbornly. "Is that all you're going to give me? One word answers?"

He glanced up at me, and I was happy to see amusement dancing in his golden eyes. Anything but that frustrated look of determination. "Probably."

I smirked, glancing down at the dusty old book I held balanced in my lap. I had to admit that Inuyasha's encampment had a very extensive collection of documents from the feudal era. Recently I had been inspecting diaries and journals to see if I could come up with any new leads for our search. "Hey…" I said finally, flipping open the text and tracing my fingers down the yellowed pages. "Remember the other day when I suggested we try another technique to impress the board?"

"Uh-huh."

I raised an eyebrow, frustrated by his distant tone. "Well, I was thinking… you know, the shards are _really_ small. They're very hard to find."

"I hadn't noticed."

What was wrong with him? He seemed much less alert than usual, and although he was responding (if you could even call it that) I had the distinct feeling he wasn't even listening to me. He had been acting strange all morning. I huffed, continuing half-heartedly. "Well, I was thinking maybe we should start with something bigger… we just need to show the board some evidence that the Shikon no Tama really exists."

He looked up from my wound, regarding me with cool skepticism. "Bigger? How much bigger?"

"A _whole lot_ bigger," I answered, finding the passage I was looking for and leaning towards Inuyasha to show it to him. "This is the diary of a young girl from a ninja village. She wrote about how all of her people were killed by a hoard of youkai, and how she and her younger sister were the only ones to escape, fleeing to the Taijiya to seek training."

"I've read that before," Inuyasha nodded thoughtfully. "But what's your point?"

"It's just that…" I bit my lower lip absently, trying to collect all of my scattered thoughts. I had read so much material that it was difficult to put it all together. "The Taijiya's village is mentioned remarkably often in the journal, and in several others that I have read. And wasn't the cave where Midoriko supposedly rests protected by the Taijiya?"

Inuyasha ran a hand through his long, silver hair with a sigh, obviously not understanding what I was getting at. "Yes, but the Shikon no Tama is not there anymore. It never completely returned after the exterminators handed it over to the archer-miko."

"I know," I stated, closing the book with a hollow thud. "But wouldn't finding the Taijiya village be a better place to start than searching for miniscule pieces of rock? Don't you think the board would be impressed if we found the village the Shikon originated in? Especially if we found the cave! And Midoriko's body!" I started to get excited, gesticulating wildly as my voice grew in volume. "If the Shikon no Tama existed, then the Taijiya must have existed too, and finding a town and a cave has got to be easier than finding a Shikon shard!"

Inuyasha frowned in thought, clasping his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. "You just might have an idea."

I grinned, taking back my foot and shoes. "If we find the Taijiya, the board will _have_ to renew our funding! And if we use some old maps, we should be able to meet the deadline!"

Inuyasha clicked his tongue, propping his legs up on the porch railing and leaning back in his chair. "Ah… maps. That's the part where this gets tricky." He looked at me, raising an eyebrow at my apparently bewildered expression. "You know Kagome, sometimes I wonder about you."

My heart sped up at his piercing gaze. I always felt like I was under a microscope when he looked at me like that. I tried to make my voice sound innocent but it came out rather startled. "What do you mean?"

He smirked with a slight shrug. "Since Kaede recommended you, you must be some kind of archaeological genius, but you sure have a way of concealing it." Shaking his head scoldingly at me, he stretched, yawning once before explaining. "Accurate maps from the feudal era are incredibly difficult to find. We had some once, but…" he trailed off, his expression turning grim as his gaze shifted to the horizon.

I waited for him to continue, but he seemed lost in his thoughts. "But?" I pressed. "You had some, but…?"

"There was a fire," he stated flatly, not even a hint of emotion tinting his voice. "I… we lost a lot." His startling golden eyes slid slowly from the rising sun to lock with mine, and he fixed me with a glare that clearly marked the end of that topic.

I swallowed heavily, almost squirming under the thick blanket of tension that had settled over us. I exhaled in relief when I caught sight of a postal worker approaching us, here to bring our weekly mail shipment. I was thankful for any escape from our uncomfortable silence.

Inuyasha nodded grimly when he was handed a thick stack of letters and a few packages were placed carefully at his feet. I watched the hard, cold expression on his face slowly fade into a dull curiosity, and then a thoughtful, wry smile. He cleared his throat, extracting a single thin envelope with embossed loopy writing from the pile and sighed. "Maybe we could have access to maps, after all. How are your seduction skills?"

__

I giggled in delight, my fluffy pink bunny slippers slipping and sliding over the hardwood floor as I skidded into our living room. My eyes danced with excitement as I took in the stacks of presents and flowers littering the area: on the coffee table, tucked between the rocking chairs, piled on empty couch cushions. A wealth of pastel wrapping paper and curled ribbons invaded my senses, mingling with the sight of miles of soft pink and blue tissue paper and gently bobbing balloons.

__

It definitely wasn't Christmas, and it definitely wasn't my birthday… my brow knitted in thought, trying to discern what occasion was responsible for so many beautiful gifts. A new holiday, perhaps? I decided it didn't much matter and l lunged for the nearest bright box, fingers curled in preparation to tear off the paper with incredible fervor.

__

"Uh-uh, Kagome," a sweet, amused voice laughed into my ear as my mother's familiar warm arms slipped around my waist and lifted me into her embrace. "These aren't for you, they're for the baby."

__

I pouted in disappointment, glancing down at my mother's stomach from where I was perched on her hip. Over the past few months she had grown larger and larger around her middle, her sleek, slender figure swelling up like a bee sting. There was a baby growing inside of her now: a new baby, my new sibling.

__

My mom loved surprises. She didn't want to name the baby until it was born. "How can you name a baby until you have seen what color its eyes are, what its voice sounds like, how soft its hair is?" she always said. "How could you pick a good name without knowing these things?" My mother didn't even want to know whether it was a boy or a girl.

__

Most of the time I was happy about the prospect of having a little sibling. I would show them around the yard, where to pick strawberries, where to find the fat yellow slugs to play with and where to steer clear of the grumpy, graying skunk that prowled around our garbage cans near the sidewalk. I would be a good big sister, a very good one.

__

Other times, I was afraid. I was afraid of what it might be like to not be the only kid in the house. I was used to always being the center of my mother's attention. I was used to being the light of the household, the joy of the family. How much of that would I have to share with my younger brother or sister? Times like these did not help calm my anxieties… when there was an endless sea of presents and not one of them was for me.

My mom set me down on the thick, green carpet, bracing her lower back so she could kneel in front of me. "Are you excited?" she asked me with a bright smile. "Are you ready for the party?"

__

I bit my lower lip, nodding dumbly as I watched her finger the lacy hem of my periwinkle party dress. I liked grownup parties because all of the adults would always gather around me and comment on how "darling" I was. I knew this time it was not going to be the same. I knew from now on it would be the baby who was so "darling."

__

My eyes blurred when she smoothed her thumbs over my tiny patent leather shoes. Would I have to give my shoes, my clothes, my toys to my new sibling? Would I have to share everything? How much? How much of my mother would I have to share?

__

I wanted to cry, but I smiled instead. My mother wanted me to smile. Her friends were arriving soon. Suddenly parties seemed more like performances than get-togethers. I wondered how many other people would be crying behind their smiles that night.

The Grave Robber-

"A party?" Kagome questioned quietly, her gaze soft and steady as it turned towards the window.

"You've got to be kidding me," Miroku laughed, sending another orange dart sailing into the corkboard behind my desk. He raised an eyebrow, cocking his head curiously. "You were never one for parties."

I sighed, nodding sadly as I ran my fingers over the thin, elegant invitation in my hand. "I'm still not," I mumbled, glaring at the off-white cordless phone beside me. "They're just an excuse for rich people to get together and show off. If I wasn't so desperate, I wouldn't even consider this…"

Miroku made a face, clearing his throat skeptically and flopping into an overstuffed easy chair. "You really think this is going to work?" he eyed me dryly, shrugging a bit. "You expect to go waltzing in there and receive access to the chairman's library upon request?"

"I don't dance," I deadpanned with a sigh. I rolled my eyes darkly, running a hand thought my thick hair and letting my bangs spray out over my forehead. "No way in hell. You know as well as I do that I'm not going to win any popularity contests with the Ookami Foundation. I-"

"The Ookami Foundation?" I glanced over at Kagome when she voiced her curiosity. She was leaning against the wall, watching me pace back and forth in front of the phone with some semblance of casual interest.

"It's an elite society for traditionalists," Miroku explained. "Invitation only… very prestigious. You've got to be a rich, male native."

Kagome huffed, obviously turned off by the exclusion of her sex. "And they're inviting you to their party. Why?"

She wasn't wrong to be confused. I was male, my ancestors were natives, but rich… not even close. Just because Sesshoumaru was rolling in dough doesn't mean he shares any of it with me. Not that I would accept his charity anyway. If I were half as rich as the members of the Ookami Foundation, then I would have paid someone else to find the Shikon no Tama and give me all the credit. "They make a big show of patronizing 'up and coming' archaeologists and scientists and the like… they think it makes them look charitable and involved in the 'youth of the nation.'"

"The leader also has an attachment to seeing his smile all over the media," Miroku added with a smirk. "He's always looking for the next big thing, hoping to get his fingers in on the publicity."

Kagome still looked unsatisfied, new questions clear across her features. "But you're unpopular with them?"

I shrugged, tapping my fingers idly against the edge of my desk. "They've been inviting me to their shindigs since I entered college. They make it pretty clear that they don't think I can find the Shikon… maybe they just want me around for comic relief."

"And Inuyasha reacts to that with his usual charm," Miroku added with a wink.

"Keh," I dismissed, my chest puffing out a little in a blatant defense of my pride. "They'll just feel all the more stupid when I find it." I thought that would settle things, but their lines of vision slid together once more before settling on me skeptically. "What?" I snapped, throwing my hands up in the air. "You think I don't know what people think of me? In case you hadn't noticed, I have a very keen sense of hearing." Kagome cracked a smile at that, and I relaxed significantly. There was something about that small twitch of her lips that always seemed to set me at ease. The fact was disconcerting to me, as was the way she arched a single thin eyebrow and tugged absently at the hem of her shirt when it began to rise slightly, revealing the smooth, fair skin of her midriff. Disconcerting, and distracting. So distracting…

I perked up a little when I noticed Miroku looking at me expectantly, obviously waiting for me to respond to something. I yawned, scratching the back of my head in an attempt to disguise my preoccupation. "Sorry Miroku, did you say something?" Damn Kagome, it's all her fault.

Miroku shook his head at me hopelessly. "Keen sense of hearing, eh?" He smiled when Kagome giggled, and I shot him a warning glare. "I was just wondering how you plan on convincing the Ookami Foundation to grant you access to their extensive map collection."

"I'm going to go to this party, be a little more polite than usual…" Miroku opened his mouth to offer some negative comment, but I raised my voice and finished. "And I'm going to bring Kagome."

"Oh ho ho!" Miroku grinned wickedly. "That's just low, Inuyasha."

"Why is that low?" Kagome objected defiantly, stepping away from the wall and closer to the two of us. "I'm his partner. Of course he'd take me."

"Oh no," Miroku shook his head in some attempt to stifle his bubbling laughter. "He's not bringing you because you're his partner. He's bringing you because the chairman of the foundation has… a thing for cute girls like you."

Kagome gaped, looking absolutely outraged. "Are you serious? Inuyasha! Is that what you were thinking?"

I shrugged, pausing in my pacing and running a hand over the phone receiver. "Hey, it's for the cause. Take one for the team."

Kagome's hands fisted at her sides angrily, and I smirked. She was adorable when she was angry. "How dare you even…. gah!" she shouted, storming over to me. "I'm a scientist. I mean, I'm an archaeologist! Which is kind of like a scientist!" she babbled. She babbled all too frequently for my taste. "I am not about to be groped so you can get your hands on some moldy old maps!"

She was standing directly in front of me, straining on her tiptoes so that her nose almost touched mine. I reached up, running a thumb over her cheek gently and flashing her my most winning smile. "You know I would never let him touch you."

Miroku scoffed and Kagome blushed, backing down and taking a step back, turning her face to the side defiantly. She didn't say anything.

"Look, I just need you to smile at him, maybe play a little footsy. He's a perv, not a rapist. If we play our cards right, we can gain access to the foundation's library in no time." I cocked my head, making a perfect imitation of a pleading puppy dog. "What do you say?"

She blushed again, pursing her lips together and kicking the toe of her sandal repeatedly into the floor in irritation. "Fine, but the minute he does anything fishy, I will slap him. Chairman or no chairman."

I smiled, nodding in agreement. "Fair is fair." I picked up the phone, flipping open the invitation and preparing to dial in our reply.

"So this explains that seduction comment you made earlier," Kagome scolded. "Do you really think this is going to work?"

Miroku nodded emphatically. "Oh yeah. When Inuyasha used to bring Kikyou, the chairman was just a pile of putty. She always got whatever she wanted." Miroku suddenly paled when I froze, realizing a little too late what he'd just said.

Kagome's face fell, and I didn't know whether to strangle Miroku or comfort her. Poor girl constantly being compared with someone she'd only heard of. She sighed, looking at me questioningly. "Kikyou again?"

I shook my head, punching in the numbers angrily. "Never mind. I'm going to RSVP."

The Tree Hugger-

I glanced at my watch, finding it difficult to read the dial even with the full moon and all the stars for light. It didn't matter; the heaviness behind my eyes was enough to tell me how late it was. How late it was, and no sign of Inuyasha. Sighing, I plucked absently at the damp grass beneath me. Was he that upset about the mere mention of Kikyou? Such slip-ups had occurred before, and I hardly thought they warranted a pause in our stargazing, but the empty space beside me in the clearing indicated that I was wrong.

It's not as if I was unfazed by the whole thing. I never liked feeling like a replacement, or feeling like I was second best. I was beginning to discover that whoever Kikyou was, I was filling in all of her old duties, including it seemed, buttering up the chairman. I was never one for sucking up… I would probably pale in comparison to her past efforts.

My thoughts were interrupted when someone abruptly took a seat beside me, and I turned with a grin, only to discover Miroku and his wandering hands, sliding over my back… I swatted him away, rolling my eyes and trying to conceal my disappointment. What was he doing here?

"Inuyasha's not feeling well," he said gently, stretching out on his back and gazing into the night sky. "He wanted me to come let you know."

I sighed in relief, glad at least that Inuyasha wasn't angry with me for some bizarre reason. I nodded slowly, licking my lips slightly. Maybe this was not my place, but I felt I deserved to know… "Who was Kikyou?"

He shifted, surprisingly comfortably. Miroku never seemed to get that stiff awkwardness that Inuyasha did when it came to this topic. "She was Inuyasha's partner about a year ago. She was a brilliant woman, absolutely brilliant. Beautiful, too." He tilted his face to look at me, smiling gently. "You know, you look almost exactly like her."

"Yeah, I've figured that out," I groaned through clenched teeth. "She was just his partner?"

"No, of course not. If she was just his partner then we would be able to talk about her all we wanted without Inuyasha going all iceman mode on us, eh?" He made a disapproving face. "She was Inuyasha's fianceé."

So that I was it. I knew it had something to do with that; it had to. Like Miroku said, if it had been anything else speaking of her wouldn't have been a problem. "What happened to her?"

Sighing, he clasped his hands and used them as a pillow beneath his sky-turned head. "Inuyasha doesn't really like people to know about it. He went to great lengths to make sure the press didn't get wind. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy."

I bit my lip, my hands clenching in the grass. "I'm sorry for asking."

"No no," Miroku answered gently. "No, don't be sorry… you know, Kagome, not talking about things doesn't make them go away."

I know. Oh, I know.

"It just makes them grow under the surface, and fester," he continued. "I really think if Inuyasha didn't try to deny so many things… I really think if he just accepted that it's OK that she's gone…" He shook his head. "As much as I want this all to be out in the open, I think I better respect his wishes. Mind if I change the subject?"

"That's fine," I answered quietly. It's OK that she's gone…?

He smiled gratefully. "How about you tell me one of those famous stories of yours?"

I took me a minute to clear my thoughts, the cool night air biting at my bare arms as I rubbed my hands against them in an attempt to warm myself. I thought for a moment, drawing my knees up to my chest. "Once I was at a party, when I was little. A baby shower."

Miroku was quiet, his eyes flicking from star to star as he listened intently.

"And I was upset because I was not the center of attention like I usually was. I was so upset, but I hid it because I did not want to ruin the party for my mother." I did not tell him it was my mother's shower. I did not want him to ask any questions. I did not want to give any answers. Perhaps Inuyasha and I aren't so different… perhaps we both just love to let things fester. "I sat down in a corner and tried not to cry, and no one noticed."

I took a deep breath, angry when tears pricked my eyes. This was ridiculous. It was nothing to cry about. It was so long ago… over and done. "Then there was an old woman, one I had never seen before. She sat down in a rocking chair next to me and smiled, and she looked so kind… so warm and so kind. She told me I was a pretty little girl… she told me I would be pretty when I grew up too. She asked me what I wanted to do when I was an adult. I told her I wanted to find the Shikon no Tama."

It seemed strange to be telling this to Miroku. I hadn't thought about the occurrence in years… it had been tucked somewhere in the back of my mind. It was terribly ironic to be thinking about it now, now that I was grown up, now that I was compared to someone beautiful, now that I actually _was_ searching for the Shikon no Tama. "She asked me why."

A lump had lodged itself in my throat when I lost myself in my memories, all of my senses overloaded with recollections of that night: the way the lighting reflected off the champagne glasses, the smell of the cocktail sauce, the taste of my own tears. I remembered looking at my mother then, filled with a desire so strong I couldn't name it. "I told her I wanted to find it so that I could wish, so that I could make sure I was never separated from the people that I loved."

It was too late for that, now.

My lower lip began to tremble, and I choked, biting down so hard to prevent my cries that I drew blood. After a moment, my shaking abated and I came back to the present. Noticing that Miroku was now upright and stiff with concern, I raised my gaze to meet him. "Do you think," I whispered, "that Inuyasha would wish for the same?"

It was too late for that, now. It was too late for me. It was too late for Inuyasha. Perhaps we weren't so different after all. Perhaps we both just loved to let things fester. Perhaps we both did not want to admit the separations we convinced ourselves we could have prevented.

-The Grave Robber-

I did not leave my room until I was sure Kagome and Miroku had both returned to their tents. This was difficult, as I had to squint, straining under my impaired vision. After that, I slipped out into the night, blending better than usual; my dark hair was not quite the beacon that my silver hair was.

I wandered to the far end of the camp, drawn to the blackened ruins on the outskirts more tonight than I had ever been. There wasn't much left anymore. The books and the maps had been lost completely, and all that remained were piles of rubble and splintered wood. The fire had been disastrous; the entire building had gone up in flames.

I used to come here every night. It distressed me that I no longer felt the need. People always tell you that the best cure for a broken heart is a new woman. It seemed that was true… as much as Kagome had reminded me of Kikyou when she first got here, it became clear that the two were as different as they were alike. My thoughts of Kagome seemed to take over… I hadn't thought about Kikyou for a while, and I hadn't come to this spot as a result. I felt guilty. How could I forget her? How could I think Kagome could fill her space?

I shook my head angrily, flopping down onto the charred earth, something catching in my throat. It was Kikyou's fault. There was no need to mourn her. She had been the one to betray me. She had been the one to force us apart. She had been the one to walk in there…

I didn't cry like I usually did, though I was only a few steps away from breaking down. I was sure my composure was due only to the fact that it was that one night… any other I would have been able to see the scraps of fabric in with the rubble, any other night I would have heard the echoed screams brought to life from my memories.

Any other night I would have been able to smell her among the ashes.


	8. Strike Midnight: Part 1

Chapter 7 – Strike Midnight Part 1

-The Tree Hugger-

This was _not_ in the job description. Sifting through dirt, okay. Living in the woods, fine. Spending time I could be conducting environmental research instead searching for a mythological jewel, whatever. I could handle all that, but I wasn't sure I could handle wearing a dress this tight and this… low cut and go traipsing around in front of some pompous, elitist society man.

"Relax," I heard Inuyasha's amused tone as he approached where I was standing in the doorway to the grand ballroom. He laughed and slung one arm casually around my waist. "You're going to be great, trust me."

"I can't believe you're making me wear this," I hissed. "I don't look like an archaeologist, I look like a-"

"You look gorgeous," he murmured, "you look like someone who will make an impression on the chairman."

"What kind of impression is that?" I groaned, suppressing a smile at his compliment. "Give me something expensive and I'll screw you?"

He chuckled, nuzzling his nose against my temple. "More like 'give me valuable ancient maps and I'll accidentally show up at your hotel room afterwards.'"

"Inuyasha…" I warned with a frown. I honestly did not want to give that kind of impression at my first high class social event.

"I'm kidding, don't worry about it." He released me but took my hand, adding as an afterthought, "just… stay by me, these guys can get a little ravenous." We entered the ballroom, and a look for disdain crossed his face. "They're wolves, after all."

I swallowed at that, and we both plastered on our most becoming smiles. Inuyasha really did look good that night. I never pictured him in a suit and tie, but something about the domesticated gentleman look was really appealing on Inuyasha, perhaps because he always seemed so wild. Why is it that women always so fiercely crave to tame men? I forced my eyes from him reluctantly in order to greet other attendees.

It was pretty obvious who was a member of the Ookami foundation and who was a guest. Aside from the ribbons pinned to the suits of the members, they had an amazingly strong air of superiority about them. I did my best to seem interested in their boasting and was amazed by their blatant flirtation. I don't know if they didn't notice my hand entwined with Inuyasha's or they just ignored it, but they were practically drooling. They didn't seem easily intimidated, either, because no matter how much Inuyasha glared or harrumphed they didn't stop their fawning. It was all I could do to keep my smile polite.

Of course, I wasn't the only one showered with attention. I should have guessed how well received Inuyasha would be by the ladies. He took it generally in stride, I was shocked by the sheer number of cordial smiles, nods, and laughs I witnessed him dish out. The only way I could tell it was still Inuyasha was that he squeezed my hand a little tighter when anyone got a little too close to either of us.

After what seemed like an eternity of strained polite chit-chat, there was a momentary reprieve when Inuyasha and I found ourselves near the other end of the ballroom in a clearing of people of sorts. When I was sure I was out of ear shot, I let out a breath, leaning my head on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"My god," I gasped. "Are we that much of a novelty?"

Inuyasha laughed, slipping his arm back around me and running his hand gently over my bare arm. "These same people go to these functions all the time," he explained. "It's like in breeding, we're something different. Besides," he added, his arm shifting to run his hand through my hair. "You're clearly the most beautiful girl in the room; of course they're going to flock to you."

I blushed, elbowing him gently under the ribs and touching my pendant, hidden beneath the trim of my dress bashfully. "Please," I chided, "you're like a magnet to these women."

He shook his head, casually blowing some bangs out of his eyes. "Nah, it's just my hair and eyes, these women are bored with their escorts and pool boys, so they…"

"No," I said slowly, turning to face him and sliding my hands up his shoulders to clasp behind his neck. I didn't say anything for a moment, ignoring his questioning gaze and letting my eyes focus on his tie. It really was strange, how Inuyasha tooted his own horn so much when it came to his professional skills, but how he sold himself short when it came to almost every other aspect of being human. I didn't really know what to say though, compliments would either make him suspicious or more eager to change the nature of our working relationship. "Inuyasha," I shook my head, toying with the hair at the base of his neck and finally looking into his eyes. "You…"

"Excuse me! Inuyasha! Can I call you Inuyasha?"

I turned in surprise, my hands falling back to my sides when I saw a team of cameras and microphones and reporters. All of them were grinning and seemed very excited to have found us. I blushed, dropping my arms from around his neck and attempting to step away from the lights and hubbub but Inuyasha tightened his arm round my waist, preventing my escape.

"You can call me whatever you want," Inuyasha grinned into the nearest camera, squeezing me gently against his side. "And this here is my partner, Higur-"

Partner? My eyes widened as they studied Inuyasha's cheerful profile. Not long ago, Inuyasha was hesitant to call me even his assistant. When had I been promoted? I held up a hand quickly, ducking politely out of Inuyasha's arm. "I think I'll let you field this one, Inuyasha."

He looked at me curiously, catching my wrist as I backed away. "But Kago-"

I shook my head firmly. "This is your project, you get the publicity."

He tugged me closer by the waist, cocking his head to the side slightly. "What are you talking about? We're in this together, and-"

I took hold of his hand with my free one, carefully unwinding his fingers from around my wrist. "I'm camera shy," I fibbed. "You go ahead, I'm going to press some more flesh."

Really, I was anxious about the reporters asking too many questions, knowing too much. Inuyasha and company didn't know that I wasn't an archaeologist, and I intended to keep it that way. I was sure the press would somehow air my secrets if they got a chance, so I thought it was best to fly low for now.

I nodded once more at his questioning gaze as I turned away from him towards the vast expanse of the ballroom. I didn't know whether to be impressed or feel sorry for these people. What could they possibly do with all their money? Just rush from one black and white party to the next? I surveyed the crowd warily, wondering what the appeal of a black and white ball was, anyway. It was so stark, so cold…

* * *

_I sat on the living room sofa, my legs barely reaching over the edge, my little hands fisted in the front of my black dress, my eyes running over the shiny curves of my black patent leather shoes. The room was stuffy and filled with people dressed in dark clothes, moving about and speaking softly. Every surface in the room was covered in flowers or cards or unsatisfying food: little sandwiches, cheese and crackers, grapes._

_I wasn't sure what to think, how to feel. I tried to understand what the adults around me were saying, but it didn't make sense, even though I knew what all the words meant._

_"Such a tragedy," they whispered. "When she put the baby down to sleep it was fine."_

_"They barely brought it home from the hospital."_

_"The next morning it just… didn't wake up."_

_"The hospital said there's no explanation, it just happens sometimes… baby's go to sleep, and…"_

_"…crib death, they call it…"_

_I tried to wrap my mind around these words, but I just didn't get it. How could my new sibling be fine and then… dead? How could that be?_

_"Keyra wanted this baby so badly…I don't know how she will recover from this."_

_I felt sick and confused, suffocated by all of these people I didn't know and their black clothes. I didn't recognize my living room, I wanted the presents and the balloons back, wanted the cold and the stuffiness gone, wanted my mother._

_But my mother had locked herself up in her room the night she found the cradle cold, and had not come out since. I wondered if she would ever come out, even weeks later, on my birthday._

* * *

"Miss?"

I squinted, clearing my head of the fog of my memories, trying to reorient myself. I was now near the large glass windows on one side of the ballroom, far from where the cameras were still flashing at Inuyasha, one hand clutching a half-empty glass of champagne. How much had I had? How many people had I conversed with on autopilot? I furrowed my brow, trying to recall the events of the last twenty minutes.

"Miss?"

I looked up, startled, to see a man standing in front of me with a cocky, but charming smile. His long black hair was swept back in a low ponytail, and the ribbon on his lapel was gold, unlike the blue ones the rest of the members wore.

His smile widened as I shook his offered hand. "I don't believe we've met…" he raised my hand to his lips briefly and I blushed. I don't think my hand had been kissed since my mom would pick me up from preschool, pretending to be my knight in shining armor. The man in front of me now straightened, releasing my hand and extending his arm instead. "Would you care to dance?  
I was about to decline by default when I noticed the man's gaze lingering a little too long at the dipping neckline of my dress. I set my jaw, annoyed and wanting to smack him, but it occurred to me that he fit the description of the man I was looking for perfectly. Long hair, special ribbon, horny. Why, hello Mr. Chairman.

"I would be delighted," I gritted out, trying my best to _sound_ delighted.

He nodded and led me towards the center of the room under the chandelier where couples were dancing, a sea of swaying and twirling black and white.

I chewed on my lower lip, trying to remember the little I knew about waltzing. One, two, three… no, there were "ands" in there, and maybe there were four counts?

Before I knew it, my hand was in his and his other was at my waist, mine on his shoulder. We seemed a little closer together than the couples around us, but I didn't feel violated yet, so I kept my mouth shut, a prim smile on my lips.

"I'm the chairman of the Ookami Foundation," he announced, and I tried my best to look impressed and pleasantly surprised. "But you, my lady, may call my Kouga."

I giggled and smiled shyly, my insides twisting at the honeyed arrogance in his voice. Pretending to be enamored with this guy was going to be easy – there's no chance he would ever question someone's admiration of him.

The dancing was fairly easy, and I was hardly distracted by counting my steps since Kouga lead so aggressively. I answered softly when he asked for my own name.

"Kagome, hm?" he practically purred. "Very pretty name. Well Kagome, either you are an extremely beautiful man in a dress, or you are someone's guest here tonight."

Heh, cheesy way to find out who your rival of the evening is, buddy. I contained my smirk and nodded. "I'm with Inuyasha."

Kouga paled almost undetectably, looking earnestly surprised at that news. "Inuyasha? Last I'd heard, he'd sworn off women."

"Oh no, nothing like that," I said quickly. "I'm his partner – his assistant."

Kouga looked pleased by that answer, the flirtatious glint returning to his eyes. "Oh, I see. So how goes the search for the Shikon no Tama?"

I ignored his amused, patronizing tone and put on my best pout, practically batting my eyelashes. "Not so well, unfortunately. We are in desperate need of some maps from the feudal era to aid our research, but we just can't find any."

"Really?" Kouga said skeptically. "That can't be, Inuyasha has one of the largest collections of feudal maps in the country – next to mine, that is."

I shook my head sadly, pleased with the direction the conversation was headed. "There was a fire, all the maps were lost."

"Oh right," Kouga said, his expression grim. "All the maps and then some, if I recall."

"Yes, and if we don't have the help of those maps, we won't be able to renew our funding, and if our funding isn't renewed…" I lowered my head, leaning my cheek on Kouga's shoulder. "I'll lose my job! I just don't know what I'll do if that happens, Kouga. I'm so worried."

"Hey, chin up!" Kouga grinned, his hand drifting suspiciously low on my backside, which I summoned all of my patience to ignore. He should give Miroku some suave lessons. "I am not one to ignore a lady in need. Maybe I could lend you my collection."

A genuine smile crossed my face as I made my eyes as huge and grateful as possible. "Oh Kouga, you'd do that… for me? You are so generous. All of the praise I've heard about you is true! I don't know how I can ever thank you…"

We'd paused in our dancing, and Kouga released my hand to stroke my cheek, his thumb brushing slowly over my lower lip. I froze, unsure of what to do. I wanted to push him away, but I didn't want him to take offense and withdraw his offer. I settled for holding perfectly still, impossibly aware of his breath on my face as he leaned down towards me.

"I can think of a way," he whispered, his eyes sliding shut.

I panicked, my breath catching in my throat as his lips drew closer to mine. Oh, no.

Do something, Kagome! Don't just stand there!

"May I cut in?"

We sprang apart and relief flooded my senses at the sight of Inuyasha standing casually next to us, tapping Kouga's shoulder as the social rule calls for.

Kouga was obviously peeved, his mouth forming some objection, but Inuyasha nodded with a smile, taking me into his arms. "Thanks! Lovely party."

I repressed a grin as he swept me away from Kouga and into the crowd. Once we were out of Kouga's hearing I groaned, lacing my fingers through his. "Perfect timing, my god Inuyasha, thank you so-"

"You don't have to kiss him," he huffed, adding as an after though, "Wench. I wanted you to butter him up, so –"

"Thanks to you," I murmured, silencing his grumbling. "I didn't kiss him, I _did_, however, get access to his map collection.

-The Grave Robber-

My smile became an all out grin. "You did? That's great! Damn, you're fast, it took even Kikyou a whole night to get what she wanted out of that fucking wolf." I laughed, but my laughter died quickly when I saw Kagome's solemn face and realized what I had just said. "Ah… I stumbled for something to say, slowing in our dance. "That is…"

Kagome shook her head with a slight smile, dismissing my mistake with some unusual wave of mercy. I smiled in relief, picking up the pace a little when the orchestra began a new upbeat, almost swing song. I don't know why Kagome didn't smack me over that slip up, but I wasn't going to argue with her. Instead I let go of one of her hands and spun her away from me, then back. She laughed, retreating closer to my chest.

"So," she said, "how was your interview?"

"Great!" I replied, quickening the pace even more as we whirled around the dance floor. "They seemed really interested in my work, I told them all about it." I twirled her once in front of me, catching her by the waist when she almost lost her balance. "I really think this could be good for the project, Kagome, I really think they're going to give us some serious publicity."

Kagome grinned, panting slightly but clearly enjoying herself. "I'm so glad, Inuyasha. It seems we have lots to celebrate tonight."

I hummed in affirmative and lunged forward as the song died down, dipping her low and smiling warmly when her surprise seemed to melt into gentle affection. I paused a moment, inhaling her scent as I nuzzled her neck then admiring the way the soft golden light from the chandelier danced in her eyes. I hope she knew that she was unique to me. That any reference I made to Kikyou now was merely reflexive. I can never completely erase Kikyou from my heart or my memory, but Kagome is singular, she is the only one.

If I was smart, I would have told her that, but whenever I opened my mouth I could never find the right words, or if I did I could never muster the damn courage to say them to her. I knew Kagome wasn't someone I needed to fear, but I felt like I don't really know her yet, that despite all our late night chats and our days spent working side by side, there was another layer to Kagome that I didn't even know about.

Well, it doesn't really matter, I smirked. There are ways to communicate without words. Smiling softly, I tilted my chin ever so slightly until my lips were mere centimeters from hers, our breath mingling in the air between us. She didn't push me away this time, in fact her eyes closed slowly in invitation. That was all the encouragement I needed, I…

…almost dropped Kagome when a blinding flash went off, and I scrambled to help her stand straight with stars in my eyes. I shook my head in an attempt to clear my vision and looked up to see one of the photographers I had been interviewing with earlier now looking extremely guilty.

"I'm so sorry," he stuttered clutching his camera. "I didn't mean to interrupt your moment, I just though it would make a good picture."

Any other night and I probably would have torn the guy's throat out. I don't generally like getting my picture taken, and he did completely destroy what would have been basically a perfect moment between Kagome and I, but hell, I was in such a great mood nothing could wipe the smile off of my face. I shrugged, brushing imaginary dust from Kagome's shoulders, just an excuse to touch her, and blew some silver bangs out of my eyes.

"Don't worry about it," I said to the blanched photographer. "Just get me a copy of that picture, eh?"

The photographer nodded in relief, bowing slightly as he retreated. "I will sir, I promise."

Kagome laughed, looping her arm casually through mine as we watched him weave into the crowd. "It seems your reputation proceeds you, that guy was scared out of his wits. Probably thought you were going to do him bodily harm." She eyed me suspiciously. "I thought you would, too."

"Didn't feel like it," I yawned, following the suddenly moving crowd towards the elegant table settings away from the dance floor, keeping Kagome's hand in mine.

* * *

A few hours, several courses, and quite a few glasses of wine later, Kagome and I stood from our seats, stuffed and a little tipsy. Or at least, she was tipsy and I was pretending to be. No normal human could drink as much as I did and not be tipsy, so I feigned slight loss of coordination to keep suspicions to a minimum. Not that Kagome would have noticed in her state.

I chuckled, steadying my companion with one arm as she swayed beside me. "Easy," I murmured. "You stay here, I'll go get our coats then we can go back to the hotel."

She nodded, letting go of where she had been clinging to my lapel and settling her grip on a nearby chair instead.

I made sure she was set before I pushed through the crowd to the coat room, tired and annoyed that the guys bringing out the coats were moving so slowly. It took much longer than I would have liked to wait in line, get our coats, and make my way back to the ballroom, but I was still surprised to find the place I left Kagome now completely empty.

The whole room was empty, actually, except for some staff sweeping and clearing the tables. There was no sign of Kagome anywhere. I sighed, rubbing my forehead with one hand and squeezing my eyes shut, trying not to jump to conclusions. Maybe she was in the bathroom. Maybe she got tired of waiting and went looking for me. Maybe…

"Hey," my ears perked up to a conversation between two of the staff clearing tables. "Did you see that long-haired mucky-muck come in hear and leave with the babe?"

I cursed under by breath as the other one responded. "Yeah, man, and I don't blame him. If I were that rich and that good-looking, there's no way I wouldn't go after that fine piece of ass."

I was at his throat in a second, my fingers flexing against his pulse point as I forced myself to ignore the disrespectful way he addressed Kagome in favor of focusing on the matter at hand. So much for my good mood. "Did you see which way they went?"

The man's eyes widened in fear as he swallowed against my hand and attempted to shake his head. "N-no," he gasped out, gesturing shakily to the back exit. "They just left through there, but I don't know where they leaving our coats on a nearby chair so as not to hinder my pursuit. Fists clenching at my sides as anger coiled up inside me, I hurried out the back door and cast about for some sign of them in the corridor. Kouga is such a fucking asshole. Doesn't he know a classy girl when he sees one? Or does he think he can screw all of my partners?

* * *

A/N – It's been a while, eh? Sorry for the delay, I was caught up in college and Full Metal Alchemist. Thanks to anyone who is still with me, and hello to new readers! This chapter and the next one was originally one huge chapter, but it was way too long for my tastes so I split it up and will be posting the next part soon. Questions, comments, and criticism greatly appreciated, as always! 


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